subject: Are Genital Warts Contagious? [print this page] Genital Warts is the most common sexually transmitted disease(STD) and is extremely contagious. 5-10% of people are carrying the genital wart virus (HPV) and 50% of those will develop genital warts caused by the HPV. In the USA, it's estimated up to 17 million sexually active Americans have HPV, which is increasing by 7% each year, but there are estimates
that show there are as many as 5 million new cases actually transmitted each year! If someone has visible symptoms of genital warts, they should not have sexual activity until the warts have been treated and removed.
Both men and women are equally at risk of developing genital warts. In rare cases adults and children can be infected indirectly, for instance through the use of an infected towel. Babies can also be infected during delivery
Are genital warts contagious if you use a condom? People thng it is safe to use condoms to protect them from any sexually transmitted disease, but condoms do not cover all genital skin, so they don't protect 100% of the genital area. If you have a partner you are sexually active with, there is a strong possibility they have already contracted the HPV virus from you. However only 50% of people who have HPV develop genital warts.
If you have contracted HPV you may not have any visible symptoms yet, as symptoms tend to occur a few months after contraction. Sometimes several years pass without any symptoms. However even without showing any symptoms it still leaves a healthy partner vulnerable to becoming infected during sexual activity.
Genital Warts are extremely contagious and sadly there is no cure for HPV, and once you are infected you will have it for the rest of your life. However your body can fight it off' and the virus itself can become dormant for decades and then reappear, but once the warts have formed they don't typically regress and require treatment. Although some genital warts can disappear after 2-3 years.
