Medical Disorders Network

Many researchers and health care professionals see HPV as so common that they believe the only people who remain unexposed to this are those who remain celibate for life. That’s the best way of genital warts prevention. A figure of 70 percent is advanced as the lifetime incidence of genital HPV infection.

One cannot expect to prevent HPV transmission by condoms because the disease is spread during foreplay and other forms of sexual contact. Condoms do help, however, but it should be remembered that the virus exists all over the genital area—not just the part covered by a condom.


The scrotum can infect the vulva, for instance, even when the person is wearing a condom. A man can get genital warts when vaginal secretions with virus infect the base of the penis.

Other modes of transmission may include tampon insertion and sanitary napkin use, oral–genital sex, and anal intercourse. Women who have HPV or whose male partners have HPV should not participate in receptive anal intercourse. Investigators are studying the possibility of nonsexual transmission of HPV.

Some possibilities advanced are that the disease is spread by transmission from fomites or by perinatal or digital transmission. Children who have genital warts are assumed to be victims of sexual abuse, but if the nonsexual transmission theory is proved, that will be another explanation for children’s infections.
If someone sees warts in the genital area of a partner, he or she should refrain from sexual contact until these are treated. A latex condom during intercourse offers some protection, but it is not 100 percent effective.

Check out this video on ways to prevent genital warts.