The warts may go away, stay the same, or grow in size or number. They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area. We do not know why HPV causes health problems in some people and not others. It also can cause certain kinds of cancer. However, if HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts. Most HPV infections go away on their own and don’t cause any health problems. Talk to your healthcare provider about anything new or unusual on your penis, scrotum, anus, mouth, or throat. But, if HPV does not go away, it can cause genital warts or certain kinds of cancer. The infection usually goes away by itself. Most men who get HPV never have symptoms. This makes it hard to know when you first got it. Symptoms can appear years after you have sex with someone who has the infection. If you are sexually active, you can get HPV even if you have had sex with only one person. HPV can spread even when a person with the infection has no signs or symptoms. It also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex. It most commonly spreads during anal or vaginal sex.
You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus.
HPV is a different virus than HIV or ( HSV) herpes. There are many different types of HPV most do not cause any health problems. Among 15- to 59-year-olds, 2 in 5 (40%) people will have HPV.
