What is HPV? Is it the same thing as genital warts?
The human papilloma virus (HPV) is a family of viruses that are usually passed by close skin-to-skin sexual contact between someone with the infection and his or her partner. Story: A Moment of Unprotected Sex Leads to HPV There are many different types of HPV. Some types cause warts on the hands and feet; other types cause genital warts. (But many people are infected with HPV and never get warts.) When the virus causes warts, the warts are usually small, fleshy growths on the genitals or anus of males or females. The warts can be treated with creams or removed, either through surgery or other methods. Large, untreated warts in the female reproductive system can cause complications in pregnancy and childbirth. They can also spread to the fetus during a vaginal birth. Many people with HPV have a type that does not cause visible warts, but infects the cervix (in females) or urethra (in males). HPV increases a woman’s risk of cervical cancer or a man’s risk of penile cancer. HPV infection
