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Dermatology (Expert Forum)
Skin Tag or Wart?
Answered by
Alan Rockoff, MD - dermatology, Child Skin Problems
The Rockoff Dermatology Center
Brookline - MA
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Skin Tag or Wart?
by Eastguy, Jun 17, 2009 01:16PM
Im a 30yr old male. I have only had two sexual partners. My current girlfriend and a girl I dated for a brief period of time. During the 9 months my current girlfriend and I were broken up I had sex with a girl once (that was about two years ago). And my current girlfriend says that she’s never been with anyone but me.
Two days ago I noticed a small growth (what looked like a single skin colored protrusion of skin on the underside/side of my scrotum near my inner thigh). I thought it was a wart. Today I went to the dermatologist. He said "it could be a wart, but it could also be a skin tag." He sent it out for testing. He also said, even if it is a wart it need not necessarily be a sexually transmitted ("st") wart. He said, there were many ways of getting warts and explained that this could be either: (1) a skin tag; (2) a non sexually transmitted wart; or (3) a st wart.
I have a few questions:
1) If it is a st wart, could I have contracted it from the girl I slept with over two years ago?
2) If I did contract it from the other girl, would it have taken two years for the wart to show up?
3) If it is a wart that was st how does that change my life? Do I need to refrain from sex till it clears up? How long would it take to clear up? Do these things ever go away? Do I need to tell my girlfriend?
4) Have you ever seen a single wart on the underside of the scrotum be classified as sexually transmitted?
5) Is it true that there are some warts that appear on the genitals that are not sexually transmitted?
6) The doctor said that even if it is st he didnt think it was a big deal and that the risk of me passing it to my girlfriend (considering its location) is low. Also he explained that my girlfriend should, as all women should, have yearly testing. And that those tests would determine if there was anything to be worried about. How careful do I have to be with my girlfriend and what steps should I take to minimize any contagion?
Two days ago I noticed a small growth (what looked like a single skin colored protrusion of skin on the underside/side of my scrotum near my inner thigh). I thought it was a wart. Today I went to the dermatologist. He said "it could be a wart, but it could also be a skin tag." He sent it out for testing. He also said, even if it is a wart it need not necessarily be a sexually transmitted ("st") wart. He said, there were many ways of getting warts and explained that this could be either: (1) a skin tag; (2) a non sexually transmitted wart; or (3) a st wart.
I have a few questions:
1) If it is a st wart, could I have contracted it from the girl I slept with over two years ago?
2) If I did contract it from the other girl, would it have taken two years for the wart to show up?
3) If it is a wart that was st how does that change my life? Do I need to refrain from sex till it clears up? How long would it take to clear up? Do these things ever go away? Do I need to tell my girlfriend?
4) Have you ever seen a single wart on the underside of the scrotum be classified as sexually transmitted?
5) Is it true that there are some warts that appear on the genitals that are not sexually transmitted?
6) The doctor said that even if it is st he didnt think it was a big deal and that the risk of me passing it to my girlfriend (considering its location) is low. Also he explained that my girlfriend should, as all women should, have yearly testing. And that those tests would determine if there was anything to be worried about. How careful do I have to be with my girlfriend and what steps should I take to minimize any contagion?
Doctor's Answer
by Alan Rockoff, MD, Jun 17, 2009 08:20PM
, Jun 17, 2009 08:20PMTo: Eastguy
1) If it is a st wart, could I have contracted it from the girl I slept with over two years ago?
Maybe. Impossible to say. Doesn't matter.
2) If I did contract it from the other girl, would it have taken two years for the wart to show up?
Maybe. Impossible to say. Doesn't matter.
3) If it is a wart that was st how does that change my life? Do I need to refrain from sex till it clears up? How long would it take to clear up? Do these things ever go away? Do I need to tell my girlfriend?
I would tell your girlfriend. I would ask your dermatologist to send the specimen for viral typing, to see whether the virus puts a woman at higher or lower risk for cervical cancer. Of course, it may not be a virus at all. The test will tell. But even if it a wart, it doesn't need to change your life, or hers. She just needs to go for regular pap smears, which she should do anyway. Your description and the location sound more like skin tag than wart.
4) Have you ever seen a single wart on the underside of the scrotum be classified as sexually transmitted?
Could never say for sure, even if it a wart. Doesn't matter.
5) Is it true that there are some warts that appear on the genitals that are not sexually transmitted?
Yes. Can't say which ones for sure. Doesn't matter.
6) The doctor said that even if it is st he didnt think it was a big deal and that the risk of me passing it to my girlfriend (considering its location) is low. Also he explained that my girlfriend should, as all women should, have yearly testing. And that those tests would determine if there was anything to be worried about. How careful do I have to be with my girlfriend and what steps should I take to minimize any contagion?
No steps are necessary. No steps are available. Just find out, get rid of whatever's there, and move on.
Dr. Rockoff
Maybe. Impossible to say. Doesn't matter.
2) If I did contract it from the other girl, would it have taken two years for the wart to show up?
Maybe. Impossible to say. Doesn't matter.
3) If it is a wart that was st how does that change my life? Do I need to refrain from sex till it clears up? How long would it take to clear up? Do these things ever go away? Do I need to tell my girlfriend?
I would tell your girlfriend. I would ask your dermatologist to send the specimen for viral typing, to see whether the virus puts a woman at higher or lower risk for cervical cancer. Of course, it may not be a virus at all. The test will tell. But even if it a wart, it doesn't need to change your life, or hers. She just needs to go for regular pap smears, which she should do anyway. Your description and the location sound more like skin tag than wart.
4) Have you ever seen a single wart on the underside of the scrotum be classified as sexually transmitted?
Could never say for sure, even if it a wart. Doesn't matter.
5) Is it true that there are some warts that appear on the genitals that are not sexually transmitted?
Yes. Can't say which ones for sure. Doesn't matter.
6) The doctor said that even if it is st he didnt think it was a big deal and that the risk of me passing it to my girlfriend (considering its location) is low. Also he explained that my girlfriend should, as all women should, have yearly testing. And that those tests would determine if there was anything to be worried about. How careful do I have to be with my girlfriend and what steps should I take to minimize any contagion?
No steps are necessary. No steps are available. Just find out, get rid of whatever's there, and move on.
Dr. Rockoff
