Can plantar warts be the cause of a positive HPV result on a pap smear or is it only caused by genital warts?

Answer 1

No, plantar warts cannot cause a positive pap smear. For HPV to show up on a pap smear you would have had to be exposed to it during intercourse. Also you can be positive for HPV on pap smear and not have "warts". There are many different strains of HPV and some of them do not cause warts. There are five different strains of the HPV virus that have been linked to Cervical cancer and this is why it is important you get tested during a Pap smear. However, the kinds of HPV that are linked to cancer don't usually cause warts.

So remember this, just because you don't have warts doesn't mean you don't have some form of HPV. HPV is actually very common and most people who are sexually active have been exposed to some kind of it. If your pap comes back positive for HPV there are many things that your gynecologist can do to prevent progression to cervical cancer.

There is no cure for HPV, but the symptoms can be treated.

Talk to your doctor about whether you should treat visible warts. They usually go away with no treatment, but they may also spread. Most people decide to treat them because of the symptoms or because of how the warts look. But if you don't have symptoms and are not worried about how the warts look, you can wait and see if the warts go away.

If you do decide to treat genital warts, talk to your doctor about the best treatment for you. There are prescription medicines you or your doctor can put on the warts. Or your doctor can remove them with lasers, surgery, or by freezing them off.

Even if you treat visible warts or your warts go away without treatment, the HPV infection can stay in your body's cells. It is possible to spread genital warts to your partner even if you have no signs of them.

There are over 100 different types of HPV viruses and you can get planter warts from someone who has genital warts. It is a virus that infects your system not just one area of skin. You can get them on your hands, feet, mucus glands(mouth,throat,ect.)genital areas, face, and anus. The virus can be transmitted by direct contact of the infected area to an unaffected area or by touching the warts on someone and then touching your own skin or area of access. The virus can also be spread sexually which is most common and by using the same towel or other personal article that comes in contact with the exposed warts of someone who is affected. The virus can stay in your system for years and is possible to never go away.

If you have a positive pap you need to make sure you do a follow up exam so they can do a visual cervical check because not all genital warts are external. You can get them on your cervical walls and cervix where they will go unseen unless you ask for a visual exam for them. This exam is somewhat uncomfortable because they have to move the speculum around to inspect it. Even though planter warts won't cause a positive pap, you can get planter warts from the same HPV virus strain that causes a positive pap to appear.