Is it possible to get genital warts even without having sex?!
Question: Awhile back, I was sitting in sex ed class. They talked about genital warts really quickly, but nothing specific. I was wondering this because it completely freaked me out. I thought I had it, but never had any sexual contact whatsoever with anyone at anytime in my life.
And I doubt you can get it from masturbation. I don't masturbate, tho...well, not very often. I try to avoid it. I heard that they could just be sweat glands, tho, but I'm not sure.
Also, awhile back, I was getting these bumps on my groin, some larger than others. Not huge, but you could definitely see them. That's what concerned me. But I haven't seen them in over 2 years and don't think they'll come back.
So, my question - can you get it without having any sexual contact of any kind?
Answers: Awhile back, I was sitting in sex ed class. They talked about genital warts really quickly, but nothing specific. I was wondering this because it completely freaked me out. I thought I had it, but never had any sexual contact whatsoever with anyone at anytime in my life.
And I doubt you can get it from masturbation. I don't masturbate, tho...well, not very often. I try to avoid it. I heard that they could just be sweat glands, tho, but I'm not sure.
Also, awhile back, I was getting these bumps on my groin, some larger than others. Not huge, but you could definitely see them. That's what concerned me. But I haven't seen them in over 2 years and don't think they'll come back.
So, my question - can you get it without having any sexual contact of any kind?
Genital warts are caused by two types of the HPV virus, numbers 6 and 11. To doctors, "sexual contact" basically means any pink parts touching other pink parts. It is possible with genital contact without intercourse. It would also be possible if a wart on the hand were to touch the penis. This alone should not make you afraid to masturbate. Bumps are probably not warts. Warts are "bumps" with rough, scaly skin.