What are genital warts?

Genital warts are growths of skin or mucosa that can grow on the genitals. In most cases they are present in the external and visible areas of genitals. In girls, they may be on the labia, the pubis, and periano. In boys, warts are often on penis, glans, foreskin, groin, anus and periano. Usually their appearance is not accompanied by pain. In some cases warts are very small and can be recognized by a roughness in the female genitalia or in the foreskin and the glans penis in males. In girls sometimes the lesions may also appear on the vaginal walls or deeper on the cervix, which can be detected during a pelvic examination. The diagnosis of genital warts is by direct observation, because, when they appear on the external genitals, are easily visible and recognizable to the naked eye. If they infect the cervix is necessary to do a pap test to verify their presence. Warts are not painful but lead to serious consequences for sexual health.