[Question #11209] Spreading warts

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16 months ago
Hi doctors. I’ve had a few small warts on the skin of my stomach for a number of years, which I’ve never thought much about. Recently though the number of warts has increased. I wondered is it possible for them to spread to the genitals if I or somebody else were to touch the warts and then my genital area. I recently had a tantric massage where this might have happened. 

Thank you for your advice in advance.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
16 months ago
Welcome back to the forum. Thank you for your confidence in our services.

My main advice is to not assume your skin bumps are warts; my suspicion is that they are something else. Warts rarely persist "a number of years" and there are plenty of other causes of skin bumps, some of which can appear quite similar to warts. You should see a physician, ideally a dermatologist.

However, if they are warts, probably they are common skin warts, not caused by the same types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause genital warts -- in which case your genital area probably is not susceptible. Finally, warts of any kind rarely are spread locally or to new body areas ("auto-inoculation" in medical terms). The immune system typically prevents new infection with the same HPV strain someone already has.

For those reasons, I think you have nothing to worry about in relation to your genital area being infected. 

I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if anything isn't clear.

HHH, MD
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16 months ago
Thank you, much appreciated.
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H. Hunter Handsfield, MD
16 months ago
Thanks for the thanks. I'm glad to have helped.---