ABSTRACT
The human papillomavirus is a virus with many different strains, some of which are sexually transmitted and cause either genital warts or dysplasia. Genital warts are small benign growths on the skin in the genital area which, although unsightly, are not a serious medical problem. Dysplasia is abnormal cells of the cervix in females, which may be a precursor to cervical cancer. Genital warts are caused by low-risk herpes simplex virus (HPV) types, the majority being due to HPV-6 and HPV-11, with the remainder being caused by HPV-42, HPV-43 and HPV-44. Genital warts are benign tumours but will continue to grow if not treated and are highly contagious. Genital warts usually appear one to six months after exposure, but it may be up to several years. In some cases individuals may be carriers of HPV and never develop genital warts.
