Wart, genital: A wart that is confined primarily to the moist skin of the genitals. These warts are due to viruses belonging to the family of human papilloma viruses (HPVs) which are transmitted through sexual contact. The virus can also be transmitted from mother to baby during childbirth.

Most people infected with HPV have no symptoms but these viruses increase a woman's risk for cancer of the cervix. HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. It is also the leading cause of abnormal PAP smears and pre-cancerous changes of the cervix in women.

There is no cure for genital warts virus infection. Once contracted, the virus can stay with a person for life.

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  Facts About Sexually Transmitted Diseases