Not all people infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV) will have warts that will show up somewhere on the body. Most of the time there are no visible symptoms and many people are known to go through their entire lives without an outbreak. When genital wart symptoms develop, it is usually within two to three months of the initial infection. In some cases, symptoms did not develop for many years after infection. The most prominent genital wart symptoms to watch out for if you suspect you've been infected are irritation, itching, and bleeding somewhere in the genital area or anus. For women, this also includes the inside of the vagina.
When genital wart symptoms appear, the wart itself is usually invisible, or sometimes it remains under the outermost layer of the skin and does not break open. If they do break through, they can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. They can be large or too small to be seen with the naked eye. They can be individual or they can come in clusters or groups.The symptoms of genital warts can differ from person to person in all respects. In some people they may appear as small cauliflower-like clusters or flat, white areas that more closely resemble dry, flaky skin than a wart. Also, the outbreak can be internal and can occur in the urethra, rectum, or cervix. In these cases, the sufferer will notice some irregularity during defecation, urination, or sexual intercourse, which will lead to a full examination by a qualified physician that will lead to proper diagnosis and, hopefully, successful treatment.
In men, warts can appear both on the outside of the penis and on the outside of the scrotum. This is usually easily treated with creams and lotions and frequent washing of the area with warm, soapy water and is generally enough to remove warts and prevent further breakouts.
