HPV contagious with no visible warts?

[mistake69]

If a person has HP (Genital Warts), but there are not physical warts present, are their partners at risk of catching it?  In other words, does there need to be a physical wart to be contagious?

[mistake69]

Thanks for the response.

[Amie635]

The vinegar test is very unreliable and I've heard of a lot of people finding out the wrong results i.e. it turning white when there was no HPV infection and vice versa. The only way you can be sure is if you get seen by a professional.

Also in regards to the size of the presumed wart, it can be absolutely tiny or quite large depending on each person. There really is no way of telling if its a wart just from description, it needs to be seen by a professional and biopsied (if necessary)

[mistake69]

ok...another question, i've been reading that vinegar will make warts as well as other skin abrasions etc turn white after being applied to it for about 10 minutes due to the acid.  If you do this on a bump on the skin and it does not turn white, does this mean it is most likely not a wart?   I know we all have bumps on the skin...

I have a tiny bump on my scrotum (when I say tiny think if mark / dot put on you from a medium point sharpee marker).  it's skin color, appears smooth, if I run my fingernail over it I can feel it catch slightly(maybe) honestly I cant tell for sure it's raised.  I would say its a pore, if there was a hair coming out, but there is not...That's how small it is...  If I held a cotton ball with vinegar on it for 10 minutes and it did not turn white, does that mean it's most likely not a wart?

[Amie635]

Everybody is different and warts look different all the time. Some times they're flat, sometimes they're raised, sometimes they're brownish in colour and sometimes they're redish in colour. There really is no way of telling, one day they'll just be there and they could be really tiny and unnoticable or they could be larger. Some people experience an itching or dryness down below which could indicate your about to experience warts but that isn't definitive as not everybody experiences that along with warts.

Also the rate at which they grow is different with everybody. In some, they don't grow at all, in some they shrink and dissapear and in some they get bigger and bigger. There is no usual time frame of them growing it just depends on the person and their body. Thats why its so important to get treatment straight away as leaving them be can make them more stubborn to medication, or can risk them growing and in turn making them harder to get rid of

[mistake69]

How do warts begin to grow...I mean, what are the first signs that they are starting?  Red spot, raised bump, skin color change?  Any clues at all, or do they just pop up...once they pop up, how fast do they grow?

[Amie635]

There is no sure way of telling when your contagious, as you can only diagnose genital warts through visible inspection. That means you can't tell if the person is contagious before the wart appears or after they show up. When a wart is present, you are definitely contagious, there is no way of telling when the virus first becomes active. Some people contract the virus and remain safe for years before the virus becomes active, some become active straight away.

[mistake69]

I am wondering more about first signs....If you are contageious before the first wart shows up or only after they show?  

[veryworried420]

There are conflicting answers to your question. Some doctors say that without any warts present, you are not infectious. Others say you should wait for 6 months to 2 years after your last wart is removed to feel confident that you are not infectious. I am in the camp that thinks waiting at least 6 months while you build up your immunity and clear the virus is a better plan.