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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Help: Gen Warts Questions
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
Welcome to the DERMATOLOGY FORUM! Questions in this forum are answered by Dermatologists from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, under the direction of Andrew Alexis, M.D., M.P.H.
Help: Gen Warts Questions
by ColoradoGuy, May 20, 2004 12:00AM
Doctor, first - thanks so much for your forum. The information is very helpful and comforting for a group of people who are generally scared out of their minds when they write in (that includes me). I have a couple of questions:
1. How long does it take for genital warts to raise above the skin, once you notice a potential wart? I recently read a men's health magazine that talked about how warts can appear years after a sexual encounter, and have since been inspecting my genitals very closely. About 10 days ago I noticed on the top side of the head of my penis, a roundish area about 1/16-1/8" that looked to be a different shade (lighter) than the surrounding skin. I have checked it maybe 3,000 times in the last 10 days, and it does not appear to be raised (I cannot feel a raise by smoothing my finger over it), even though I have noticed that my skin down there is rather bumpy once you take an extremely close look. I fear one of these times I check it this little area will no longer be smooth but will have raised. I am pretty sure that this was not there before. (My working assumption is that actual warts are clearly above the skin, and are detectable to the touch.)
2. Can genital warts be contracted in either of the following ways: by "fingering" a girl (would the warts appear on the finger or the genitals), or by having a girl spit on the penis during a hand job? (Info has been confusing - I read a lot about "skin to skin" contact - which I assume must mean "wart to skin" contact, but nothing about saliva to skin).
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I'm going out of my mind.
1. How long does it take for genital warts to raise above the skin, once you notice a potential wart? I recently read a men's health magazine that talked about how warts can appear years after a sexual encounter, and have since been inspecting my genitals very closely. About 10 days ago I noticed on the top side of the head of my penis, a roundish area about 1/16-1/8" that looked to be a different shade (lighter) than the surrounding skin. I have checked it maybe 3,000 times in the last 10 days, and it does not appear to be raised (I cannot feel a raise by smoothing my finger over it), even though I have noticed that my skin down there is rather bumpy once you take an extremely close look. I fear one of these times I check it this little area will no longer be smooth but will have raised. I am pretty sure that this was not there before. (My working assumption is that actual warts are clearly above the skin, and are detectable to the touch.)
2. Can genital warts be contracted in either of the following ways: by "fingering" a girl (would the warts appear on the finger or the genitals), or by having a girl spit on the penis during a hand job? (Info has been confusing - I read a lot about "skin to skin" contact - which I assume must mean "wart to skin" contact, but nothing about saliva to skin).
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I'm going out of my mind.
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, May 20, 2004 12:00AM
, May 20, 2004 12:00AM
Warts can indeed appear years after a contact, but there's no way to tell they're there unless they are there, and being there means above the skin. By the way, for some reason warts are very often on the shaft, very rarely ion the head of the penis.) So it's not that useful for you to stare at the spot waiting for it to erupt.
If warts could spread from finger to penis or vice versa, everyone with hand warts would have them down below from hand washing and vice versa. Although this may be possible in theory, it doesn't happen in practice.
Saliva doesn't transmit warts as far as I know.
To completely allay your anxiety, you should see a doctor. You don't have to elaborate on why you're worried--just say that you are.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
If warts could spread from finger to penis or vice versa, everyone with hand warts would have them down below from hand washing and vice versa. Although this may be possible in theory, it doesn't happen in practice.
Saliva doesn't transmit warts as far as I know.
To completely allay your anxiety, you should see a doctor. You don't have to elaborate on why you're worried--just say that you are.
Take care.
Dr. Rockoff
Lastweek, I realized I had very small beginning of warts on my fingers so I put a wart product and they went away. However, I noticed a very light dot on my penis below the forskin. Is it possible the warts on my hand where transmitted to my genital? I went to see a doctor and he said it was too small to tell if it was a wart or if it was normal. When can you start treating warts? I mean can you treat wart if you are sure that it is warts but they are not bumpy yet (I mean very small)? Thank you for your time.