Can I get genital warts if my partner has them?

Not necessarily. Genital warts are caused by certain types of HPV, and they pass easily between partners through skin-to-skin contact, even when no warts can be seen. But not everyone who catches these types gets warts: UK guidelines say warts develop in between 15% and 64% of people infected.

If you do get them, it can take weeks or months for them to appear, around 3 months on average for women and 11 months for men, and sometimes over a year. So it isn’t possible to know when someone came into contact with the virus, and warts don’t mean anyone has cheated.

Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 types of HPV, and around 90% of genital warts are caused by just two of them, types 6 and 11. These aren’t the types that cause cancer.

HPV is very common. Most people get some type of HPV during their lives, usually without any symptoms, and the body usually clears it within 2 years. Read more in “7 things you need to know about Genital Warts”

You can get genital warts from:

• skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, including vaginal and anal sex, even without penetration
• sharing sex toys
• oral sex, although this is rare

The virus can be passed on even when there are no visible warts, and many people with the virus have no symptoms. You can’t get genital warts from kissing, or from sharing towels, cutlery, cups or toilet seats. Read more in “Can you get an STI in a relationship even if no one’s cheated?”

Genital warts are usually small, rough lumps on the skin. They may:

• appear on their own or in groups, which can look like a cauliflower
• feel soft or firm
• be white, red, skin-coloured, or darker than the skin around them

They can appear around the vagina, on the penis, around the anus, or on the skin between the genitals and anus. They don’t usually cause symptoms, but they can sometimes be painful or itchy, or bleed.

Other harmless bumps can look similar. Read more in “Are pearly penile papules (PPP) a sign of an STI?” and “What can be mistaken for Herpes?”

• Check yourself for new lumps or bumps around your genitals or anus. If you notice any, get them checked.
• You don’t need to be tested for warts if you have no symptoms. There’s no blood test for HPV, and UK guidelines say partners of people with warts don’t need routine checks.
• Use condoms. They lower the risk of passing on HPV and warts, but they don’t cover all the skin around the genitals, so they don’t protect you completely.
• Avoid sex while your partner is having treatment for warts.
• Think about a full STI test if either of you has had other partners recently. Warts are only one of the infections that can pass on through sex.

Treatment isn’t always needed, as warts sometimes disappear on their own within 6 months. If they’re treated, options include creams or liquids, freezing (cryotherapy), or removing them with surgery, heat or a laser. It may take weeks or months for treatment to work, and warts can come back.

Treating warts doesn’t get rid of the virus, and there’s no evidence that it lowers the risk of passing it on.

Yes. The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that cause most genital warts and cervical cancer. In the UK, it’s offered to all children aged 12 to 13, and to some other groups, including men aged 45 or under who have sex with men. It doesn’t treat warts you already have.

Genital warts are becoming much less common in young people, which UKHSA puts down to the school vaccination programme. In England, first diagnoses of genital warts in women aged 15 to 24 fell by 89% between 2019 and 2025. Read more in “Can I get reinfected with HPV?”

If you have a lump or bump you’re not sure about, Better2Know offers:

• Blemish Screen: tests a swab from a lump, blister or sore on or around your genitals for HPV, Herpes 1, Herpes 2 and Syphilis, with results in 5 days. You can book it at one of our clinics or order a Blemish Screen home test kit.
• Full Screen: if you’d like to check for other STIs, it tests for 7 infections, including HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, from 28 days after sex, with results in 3 days (5 days for the home test).

If you test before 45 days, a negative HIV result needs a repeat test. A Syphilis test in the first 3 months after sex can miss the infection, so you may need a repeat test. Not sure which test you need? Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Does my partner having warts mean they cheated?

Not necessarily. Warts can take months, or over a year, to appear, and it isn’t possible to know when someone came into contact with the virus.

Can I get warts in my mouth from oral sex?

It’s possible, but rare. The NHS says genital warts can be passed on through oral sex, but this is rare.

Should we stop having sex?

Avoid sex while your partner is being treated. Otherwise, condoms lower the risk, although they don’t remove it completely.

If your partner has genital warts, you may already have been exposed to the virus, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get warts. Keep an eye out for new lumps, use condoms, and avoid sex while your partner is being treated. If you notice anything, a swab test can tell you whether it’s an STI.

Book a Blemish Screen at a clinic near you or order a home test kit. Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Not in the UK? Choose your country from the selector at the top of the page for local tests and prices.

This article originally appeared on 9 February 2024 and was last updated on 1 October 2026.

This article is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

Sources

1. NHS, Genital warts, reviewed 10 July 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/genital-warts/
2. NHS, Human papillomavirus (HPV), reviewed 10 March 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/human-papilloma-virus-hpv/
3. NHS, HPV vaccine, reviewed 1 September 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/hpv-vaccine/
4. NHS inform, Genital warts. https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/sexual-and-reproductive/genital-warts/
5. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, National guideline for the management of anogenital warts in adults, 2024. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/resources/agw_2024.pdf
6. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, Anogenital warts patient information leaflet, August 2024. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/wart_pil_print_a4_01.pdf
7. UK Health Security Agency, Sexually transmitted infections and screening for chlamydia in England: 2025 report, 2 June 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-annual-data-tables/sexually-transmitted-infections-and-screening-for-chlamydia-in-england-2025-report
8. British HIV Association, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV and British Infection Association, Adult HIV testing guidelines, 2020. https://bhiva.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/HIV-testing-guidelines-2020.pdf
9. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, UK guidelines for the management of syphilis, 2024. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/syphilis_2024.pdf