Small Genital Wart? A few questions

I went to the doctor today to get a possible genital wart looked at. The doctor looked at my wart for approximately 10 seconds before telling me it could possibly be a genital wart or Molluscum contagiosum. He was not sure, nor did he seem too interested in investigating the matter any further.  I wasn

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

With apology, I do not look at posted clinical photos.  Others don't feel this way (e.g., Dr. Rockoff in the dermatology forum)--but to my thinking, it comes too close to practicing medicine from a distance.  As to the other questions:

2) It might occur, but rarely; common (nongenital) warts rarely affect the genitals.

3) This has been addressed many times.  Some experts believe that all HPV infections are permanent, but the answer isn't known for sure.  However, almost all HPV infections clear up by the best testing available, cannot be transmitted to future partners, and never recur.  So for practical purposes, most people can consider themselves cured after their warts (or abnormal pap smear) clear up.

4) If you have a wart, you can safely assume your partner is infected. S/He may or may not ever have recognized warts.  Once s/he has been infected and it clears up, s/he will be immune to getting reinfected with the same HPV type.

5) Tretinoin is not a standard treatment for genital warts and is not mentioned as an option in CDC's STD treatment guidelines.  The usual therapies are various caustic chemicals, freezing with liquid nitrogen, or cautery (in the provider's office) or prescription of podofilox (trade name Condylox) or imiquimod (Aldara).

Best wishes--  HHH, MD

[Englishman]

Looks like it could be a mole or a wart. Get a second opinion from another doctor. I have had mollscum and it looks nothing like that at any stage of the lesion.