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Certain subtypes of HPV are considered high risk and are associated with cervical and anogenital cancers. Women are particularly at risk. It is recommended that women with genital warts or that women who have sexual contact with men with genital warts, should have regular (yearly) Pap tests, as changes of the cervix have been associated with HPV.
Other groups that are at risk of developing HPV-related cancers are immunosuppressed patients and HIV-infected individuals.
Patients acquire HPV through tiny nicks and cuts in the skin.
Yes, the sexual contacts of patients with genital warts should be examined by a physician to make sure that they do not have warts.
Use of condoms may reduce transmission of the virus to uninfected partners. A vaccine against high-risk HPV types is now available but is only effective in non-infected individuals.
Recovery will vary depending on the specific treatment, but generally, tenderness will occur. Swelling may also occur, as the genital skin is quite thin. The swelling will settle down in a few days.