Groin Warts
Why Do They Occur? How Are They Treated?

What Are the Symptoms of a Groin Wart?

After HPV transmission, warts usually become apparent within 1–6 months. The lesions are mostly:

• White-grey in colour
• Stalked or cauliflower-shaped
• Sometimes broad-based bumps

Warts seen in the groin and genital area can cause itching, irritation and bleeding. Itching is more common in vaginal warts. Some vaginal warts can grow for a long time without causing symptoms.

Why Are Groin Warts Important?

Warts seen on the genital organs can be small and scattered, or they can merge to form large masses. They can sometimes be confused with a mole (nevus) and neglected for years.

When a wart is detected in the groin and genital area, not only the treatment of the wart but also determining the HPV type is important. This is because in infections caused by high-risk (oncogenic) HPV types, it is known that the risk of:

• Cervical cancer
• Penile cancer
• Anal cancer

is increased.

How Are Groin Warts Treated?

If a wart in the groin and genital area is single and limited, treatment with a fractional laser under local anaesthesia is possible. In widespread, merged warts that have become a mass, general anaesthesia may be preferred.

In intravaginal warts, in some cases the procedure can be done without the need for local anaesthesia. The laser application removes the wart tissue in a controlled way.

As with other genital warts, there is a risk of recurrence in groin warts. If recurrence develops, treatment is reapplied with the same method.

What Should Be Done to Prevent Recurrence?

• The warts should not be pulled off or made to bleed
• A razor or wax should not be applied to the groin area
• Smoking should not be used
• The immune system should be kept strong
• The HPV vaccine should be administered

Treating groin warts at an early stage both reduces their spread and helps prevent the complications that high-risk HPV types can cause.