Warts and Verrucas

Last Updated: 11 December 2018

Warts and verrucas are small lumps on the skin that most people have at some point in their life. They usually go away on their own but may take months or even years. Warts do not cause you any harm but some people find them itchy, painful or embarrassing. Verrucas are more likely to be painful – like standing on a needle.

You can treat warts if they bother you, keep coming back or are painful. A pharmacist can help with warts and verrucas. You can buy creams, plasters and sprays from pharmacies to get rid of warts and verrucas.

Genital Warts

Genital warts is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) passed on through vaginal, anal and, rarely, oral sex. Treatment from a sexual health clinic can help them go away.

What happens at a sexual health clinic

A doctor or nurse can usually diagnose warts by looking at them. They will:

• ask you about your symptoms and sexual partners
• look closely at the lumps around your genitals and anus
• possibly need to look inside your vagina, anus or urethra (where pee comes out) depending where your warts are.