Warts are common, especially among kids. They can affect almost any part of the body but are most often found on the hands and feet. Most warts are harmless and painless. However, they do tend to spread easily; warts can be transmitted from one person to another through contact with skin, towels, clothing or other items. Although there are many different types of warts, all warts are caused by some strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Warts: Genital

Many people wonder if it is possible to spread hand or foot warts to a genital region. Fortunately, hand warts are a different type of HPV than genital warts.

In general, it is thought that we do not transmit hand warts to genital areas, and vice versa. These different types of viruses have different preferences for tissue type, or location, in the body. Hand warts transmit to hands, foot warts to feet, and genital warts to the anus and genital areas (and rarely to the mouth or throat). Therefore, it is not likely that genital warts from one partner will be transmitted to the hand of another partner, or one person’s hand warts will be transmitted to the genitals of another person—even with direct contact.

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