I know the blogosphere and wiki-land is ripe with people who swear that they got genital warts from fingers (either their own or someone else’s) – and while the mysterious nature of life (and fear of lawyers) preclude me from “never saying never” – the odds of that really happening are extremely small. So while you technically have HPV on your finger – which I know is creepy to think about – it really likes the neighborhood and has no plans to move down to the “Short North” so to speak. For instance, HPV-1 has a foot fetish and causes plantar warts while HPV 6 and 11 prefer to hang out in the “junk yard” and cause genital warts. Take a deep breath… I know those 3 little letters strike fear in the hearts of all college and grad students, especially those who are sexually active, but there are over 150 distinct strains of HPV and they all prefer certain body parts and skin types. On the hands, they’re referred to as common warts on the bottom of the feet they’re called plantar warts around the fingernails they’re called periungual warts on the genitals or around the anal area they’re called genital warts.
Q: Can a wart on my finger spread to my genital area?Ī: All warts (or “verrucae”) are caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
