Genital warts are caused by certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), and the virus spreads primarily through intimate skin-to-skin contact during sex. You can get genital warts from vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who carries HPV, even if that person has no visible warts or symptoms of any kind.
Skin-to-Skin Contact Is the Primary Route
HPV isn’t transmitted through blood or bodily fluids the way some other infections are. Instead, it passes directly from one person’s skin or mucosal tissue to another’s during close physical contact. The virus enters through tiny breaks or micro-abrasions in the skin’s surface, which occur naturally during sexual activity. Once inside, it infects the cells of the outer skin layer and can eventually trigger the growth of warts.
Vaginal and anal sex carry the highest transmission risk because they involve sustained, direct contact between vulnerable mucosal surfaces. Oral sex can also transmit HPV, though genital warts in the mouth or throat are far less common. Even genital-to-genital rubbing without penetration can spread the virus if infected skin touches uninfected skin.
No Symptoms Doesn’t Mean No Risk
One of the trickiest things about HPV is that a person can carry and spread the virus without ever knowing they have it. Many people with HPV never develop visible warts, yet they can still pass the infection to a partner. This is called subclinical infection, and it’s a major reason HPV is so widespread. There’s no routine blood test for HPV, and the virus can be present on skin that looks completely normal.
After you’re exposed, warts don’t appear right away. The incubation period ranges from one to six months, and in some cases it can be even longer. That delay makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly when or from whom you contracted the virus.
Who Is More Likely to Develop Warts
Not everyone who encounters HPV ends up with visible warts. Your immune system plays a significant role in whether the virus produces symptoms or stays dormant. People with weakened immune systems, whether from a medical condition, certain medications, or other factors, are more likely to develop warts after exposure and may find them harder to clear.
The highest rates of genital warts occur among people aged 15 to 29, with global incidence estimates ranging from 100 to 200 new cases per 100,000 adults each year. That age range reflects both higher rates of new sexual partnerships and the fact that younger people are less likely to have built up any immune response to HPV from prior exposure.
Can You Get Genital Warts From Toilet Seats?
This is one of the most common questions people have, and the short answer is that it’s extremely unlikely. Researchers have detected HPV DNA on surfaces in clinical settings, including toilet seats in sexual health clinics. However, the DNA found was attached to shed skin cells, and detecting viral DNA is not the same as finding live, infectious virus. Scientists currently have no way to grow HPV in a lab to confirm whether virus on surfaces is still viable.
Even if trace amounts of viable virus existed on a surface, the quantity would likely be far too small to establish an infection through casual contact. HPV needs access to broken skin or mucosal tissue to take hold. The scientific consensus is that genital warts are spread through direct intimate contact, not from shared surfaces, towels, or swimming pools.
How Condoms Help, and Their Limits
Condoms reduce the risk of HPV transmission, but they don’t eliminate it. Unlike infections that travel through semen or vaginal fluid, HPV lives on the skin itself. Condoms only cover the shaft of the penis, leaving surrounding skin in the groin, upper thighs, and base exposed. If infected skin touches areas the condom doesn’t cover, transmission can still occur. That said, consistent condom use does lower the overall risk of both genital warts and HPV-related cancers, so they’re still worth using.
Transmission During Childbirth
In rare cases, a mother with HPV can pass the virus to her baby during vaginal delivery. This happens when the baby comes into contact with infected tissue in the birth canal or after membranes rupture. A meta-analysis found that the rate of vertical HPV transmission was about 28% with vaginal delivery compared to roughly 15% with cesarean section.
The vast majority of these transmissions cause no clinical problems. The only documented serious complication is a condition called respiratory papillomatosis, where warts grow in a child’s airway. This is very rare, occurring in roughly one to four cases per 100,000 births.
Vaccination Is the Strongest Protection
The HPV vaccine targets the two strains responsible for about 90% of genital wart cases, along with strains linked to cervical and other cancers. Its impact has been striking. In the United States, genital wart rates among 15- to 19-year-old females dropped 61% between 2006 and 2014, the first eight years after vaccination was recommended for girls. Rates among 20- to 24-year-old females fell 44% over the same period.
The vaccine works best when given before any exposure to HPV, which is why it’s routinely recommended starting at age 11 or 12. It’s available for people through their mid-20s and, in some cases, up to age 45. If you’ve already been exposed to one HPV strain, the vaccine can still protect against strains you haven’t encountered. It won’t treat existing warts or clear an active infection, but it can prevent new ones caused by different strains.