Does this look like HPV?

[Dan_C]

1)Does this appear to be a genital wart/hpv? The following picture is enlarged and the actual wart is approx. 1mm. It is located on the shaft of my penis.

http://img96.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sta60011oh8.jpg
http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=feb2021daytreatmentxs3.jpg
http://img440.imageshack.us/my.php?image=feb203it5.jpg

I am not sure when I first discovered the wart but I think it is safe to say it's probably been there for almost 1 year with only slight enlargement. It looks like a brown mole from the naked eye(and that's what I thought it was for the longes time). I've only had two sexual partners and the first time we were both virgins so I find it hard to believe that one of us had hpv, though this appears to be a wart to me.

2) I went to the doctor and after looking at it for several seconds he simply prescribed Treinoin Cream .1%. He was unsure that it was a genital wart. Tretinoin cream seems like a rather unorthodox treatment method, so do you suggest I see another doctor, or will the tretinoin cream suffice and how long will it take to remove the wart? I honestly think he may have confused the primary ‘ingredient’ of Aldora with treinoin, since he specially mentioned Aldora with me in his office.

3) Since the wart is extremely small I think over-the-counter wart removal would probably work. Why do the drug companies discourage one from using them on genital warts? Is it simply for legal matters?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Yes, it does look like a genital wart.  If you see a dermatologist, he or she can have it off you in a couple of seconds.  Tretinoin is not likely to help.

Some genital warts are contracted from non-sexual exposures.  It's really impossible to say where you got them, and not very important.  All I advise you to do is to get the wart off.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[Dan_C]

4)In your opinion, does only having one small wart mean I am less likely to have a massive breakout, or have them reoccur?

5)Is it true that once a wart is treated (either burned off or treated with cream) that your bodies immune system is more likely to handle the virus, than if it is left untreated?

6)Would you suggest I tell my last partner about this matter, considering she probably has had it for as long as me (or longer) and appears to have no symptoms? I hear these types of warts are generally not associated w/ cervical cancer in females and I would hate to worry someone if it was not nessicary.

7)Assuming the wart is treated (burned off) when would you feel it is safe to have sex with someone without the fear of transmitting hpv?

8)Is it possible for one partner to have warts and the other to not have them even if it's the same strand of hpv?


Thanks A lot Dr. Sorry for the double post, but this should satisfy all my inquiries!

[Johnny5000]

Hi Doctor

I recently had warts frozen on my lower abdomen and the docter sliced one to test for genital warts. I have not had sex in a year, i have always used protection and have never seen any warts on my penis. One may have had a cauliflower look to it. I just had a few questions:

1. Now that they are frozen can they still be spread?

2. Is it possible to have genital warts even though they have never appeared on my gentials?

3. Is it possible that if i do have genital warts can they actually may never appear on my penis? (probably a dumb question)

thank you