Symptoms and Complications
Warts are generally easy to see or feel. People notice them as abnormal growths, bumps, or other odd changes of the skin. More specifically, plantar and genital warts have very distinct symptoms and are more serious types of warts:
- Plantar warts sometimes resemble calluses. They are flat in appearance, deep-rooted in the skin, and can cause pain when you walk. They may be yellow or brown and may also be dotted with tiny gray-black nodules.
- Genital warts are often small and flat. They can be pink, white, or gray. They can also join together, forming cauliflower-like growths. These warts are able to grow on both the external and internal genitalia, including the anus, vagina, urethra, and cervix. Genital warts can also appear in the throat if oral sexual contact occurs with an infected person.
Fortunately, most HPV infections do not become cancerous. However, certain strains of HPV have been associated with the development of cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, anal cancer, and, rarely, cancer of the penis. If and when complications arise, they're often due to genital warts. Warts can also cause a number of problems during pregnancy. They can become bigger and interfere with urination and even cause obstruction during delivery. In rare instances, a baby can also develop warts in the throat (laryngeal papillomatosis) if the mother has genital warts. For this reason, it's important for women to have regular Pap smears, especially those who have experienced HPV infection or genital warts.