Most people don't know they have HPV because they have NO SYMPTOMS. You can still infect your partner(s) with HPV even if you don't have symptoms.
For women, having a Pap test that comes back abnormal at the gynecologist's office is usually the first sign of an HPV infection. That's why it's important to start getting regular Pap tests when you are 21, or earlier if your doctor recommends it.
If you have a type of HPV that causes genital warts, you may or may not get symptoms. If you do get symptoms, they usually start out as small bumps in or around your vagina, penis or anus. Here's some information about these warts:
- They can grow in bunches or clusters.
- They can be raised or flat, and any size.
- They can be pink, red, brown or the color of your skin.
- They might itch, be painful or bleed.
Even if you do get symptoms, you might not notice them. Why? The warts or bumps can be really small and you might not see or feel them.
HPV warts can also grow on your thighs, groin, lips, mouth, tongue, throat or on a man's scrotum.