transmission of anal warts

According to my doctor, the growts around my anal opening are some kind of wart. I asked how they are transmitted and he replied that it was by sexual contact. I asked if there were other ways and he said possibly, but he had no idea what they were. Any he has dealt with were by sexual contact. I've never had penetrative anal sex. In fact, the only anal contact has been occassional rimming and fingering. Neither for quite some time.
My question is this - specifically, what are the ways of contracting anal warts other than sexual? If I only noticed them recently, how far back should I be thinking as to when transmission could have occurred? All the sites say "usually by sexual contact, but not always". That's as specific as it gets. Apart from being curious, it might help me in the "brain wracking" department as to pinpoint where or how I got these growths?
Thank you.
Colken

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Anal warts are by no means always transmitted sexually.  As to where warts come from, who knows?  Warts on the hands are equally inscrutable, but nobody cares where those come from.  When they're on the genitalia, origin becomes an issue, but answers are elusive.  Also it mostly doesn't matter.  I suggest having the damned things treated (a challenge, but doable) and leaving aside the question of where they came from.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[colken]

Thanks for that Dr. Rockoff. I do intend to have them treated. I suppose my concern was that my Doctor (a family friend)seemed to think that they could only be transmitted sexually (he also used that all encompassing word "usually")and I would love to be able to look him straight in the eye and list x, y & z as other possibilities. Going back to my original question...I still do not know what x,y & z are, so I'm just curious how the medical profession can be so certain about the sexual transmission, while totally non-committal about even mentioning other possible causes. Surely, if we do not know how warts are transmitted, then it should be left at that. But no - everyone has to mention the sexual possibility.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Good point.  The medical profession likes to list "causes" of things, even when evidence is slim.  The effect of speculating about causes on patients is generally not of interest to the profession.  As George Berbard Shaw wrote, "Every profession is a conspiracy againts the laity."

ASR

[Robinbobin]

You can get anal warts from not using enough toilet tissue.  (boody-scooper) The bacteria from your butt turns into bacteria.  The feces that weren't wiped away hardens and turns into warts.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I assume you're joking.  At any rate, I hope so.

Dr. Rockoff

[shelv.]

robinbobin,
re hardened-not-wiped-away-feces = anal warts......thanks for the good laugh....wish you were around to keep me entertained.