Self-Care Guidelines
Genital warts can be prevented by abstaining from sexual activity and having as few sexual partners as possible. Since HPV is so prevalent, every new partner increases your chances of becoming infected with HPV. Because there are no symptoms, there is no way of being certain that your partner is not infected. Using condoms cannot completely protect you from HPV, since vaginal or anal penetration does not need to occur to contract the virus.
When to Seek Medical Care
You do not need to have visible warts to be contagious, as the virus may be in a latent or "resting" phase. However, when warts are visible, the infection is considered active and is definitely contagious. A healthy immune system usually clears the infection on its own, but if you are sexually active, you should seek treatment to reduce the chance of passing the virus to other partners.
If your partner has been diagnosed with warts, you should be checked for infection. For women, a Pap smear is done to look for any signs of abnormal cervical cells, which can be the first sign of cervical cancer. This should be done annually if you previously had an abnormal Pap smear and every few years as a routine health check-up. For men, the genital area is visually inspected. Even if that check is normal, you may still get warts or cervical cancer in the future.
Signs and Symptoms
