Bumping & Grinding
Dear Dr. Dick,
The other day my sexy stud of a lover was giving me a penetrative deep tissue massage and found a wart-like bump near my hole! I'm embarrassed to get it checked, but more importantly, I'm afraid to have the wart virus. Don't warts cause anal cancer?
Seymour Butts
Dear Seymour,
Your booty-bump could be a number of things, from a hemorrhoid, to a skin tag--or as you suspect, a wart. No matter what, you'll feel better once you get checked. Medical providers are used to seeing all sorts of butt issues---so relax, unclench, and try to think of the exam as just a normal checkup.
The "wart virus," HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), is VERY common. Almost everyone will get at least one strain of HPV in their lives. If your bump does turn out to be HPV, try not to feel embarrassed or ashamed. HPV doesn't discriminate--it just wants to live in a warm and happy home.
Here's some more HPV info:
There are over 100 strains of HPV, and over 40 of those strains can infect the genitals, the mouth, and the throat. These strains are spread through oral, anal, and vaginal sex, and can also be spread through non-penetrative sex (rubbing genitals together, or mouth-to-genital contact).
Low risk strains of HPV can cause warts, and high risk strains can cause certain types of cancers. So to answer your question, warts don't turn into cancer; the strains that cause warts and the strains that cause cancers are different.
SYMPTOMS:
Most people clear or control HPV and never develop symptoms or health issues. Often people develop warts that they don't notice that go away on their own. If warts pop up, they are usually pink or flesh-toned, flat or raised, or look like cauliflower. They vary in size and usually affect the genital area (cock, balls, hole, urethra, vagina, labia). Sometimes people get warts in their mouth or throat, but it doesn't happen as often as getting warts in the genital area.
High-risk strains of HPV can lead to cancer of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, and anus. In women, almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. That's why there's a routine screening test recommended for women, called a Pap test.
There's no routine, widely recommended screening test for men. A visual scan for warts is the standard way to check for HPV. Some experts recommend that all men who have sex with men have an anal exam every year (finger in the butt), and others recommended an anal Pap to check for cell changes that could be caused by high-risk strains of HPV. At this time, there is no national recommendation that guys who have sex with guys undergo anal Paps, and the issue is still controversial. A large national study of anal Paps is about to start that should tell us if the tests are helpful, harmful, or neither.
High risk strains of oral HPV can cause cancers of the head and neck. These cancers are 3 x more common in men than in women. Currently there is no routine screening recommendation for oral cancer. *Stay tuned for next month's article on oral HPV.
TREATMENT:
Some warts go away on their own. If warts become a pain in the ass, they can be removed by a medical provider, often with minimal pain or discomfort. You might be given a prescription for a gel, cream, or ointment to use on the warts at home. Other times, a medical provider may freeze or surgically remove warts. Do not try to treat genital warts on your own with over-the-counter medication!
PREVENTION:
Use condoms and lube for anal and vaginal sex. Insertive "female" condoms provide some extra protection from skin-to-skin contact that could spread HPV.
Use an oral sex condom for oral sex on a penis, and use a dam for oral sex on a vagina or anus. Add some flavored lube to spice things up.
If you have a concern, get it checked out! STD Clinic.
Get regular health check-ups. Uninsured? Sign up for health insurance with the Affordable Care Act. Washington Health Plan Finder
Under 26? Get vaccinated for HPV. The HPV vaccine is approved for males and females aged 9 to 26 and protects against the four strains of HPV that cause the majority of warts and certain cancers. This is THE SINGLE BEST WAY to prevent HPV infection.
Thank you for the great question! Be well,
-Dr. Dick