Hey Ladies,

Are all vaginal warts contagious? If you have visible warts, does that mean your HPV is active? How do you distinguish between the ones that are dangerous (cancerous) from the ones that are benign?

Hi asilgirl,

I believe that if you have an outbreak, then the virus is active.

I thought that low-risk HPV is only associated with warts, not high-risk HPV. Does high-risk HPV cause genital warts or just cervical changes or both? Hmm good question asilgirl! I was always told that high risk caused dysplasia and low risk caused warts. From what I know, low risk HPV will not cause dysplasia, only warts, and are considered benign.

Hey LAgirl,

Thank you for always responding so quickly to my post, I really appreciate that:)

I was told that low risk hpv causes warts, and high risk can cause dysplasia on the cervix, vulva, anus and vagina. But one could also assume that high risk hpv can cause everything!

So if the warts go away, or if they don't itch, does this mean that the virus is dormant?

Oh this thing!!!

Thank you, LAgirl!!!

you can have both. actually, the theory goes that if you have the low risk strains that cause warts, you most likely have the high risks too, they are not mutually exclusive.

The warts can go away, they can be treated at the gyno, or they can be cut or burned. That doesn't mean by any means that the virus dissapeared. Only that its consequences are being addressed and treated.


From many many studies, I gather that if you are really young you have a good chance of fighting the virus and a healthy immune system kills the virus and makes sure that you don't get reinfected with the same strains. But, it happens that even if the virus goes dormant, or you treat the warts and/or dysplasia, in times of stress or other immunity triggers, the virus can come back with the same or different intensity.

bottom line, be aware and observe every sign.