Who is affected by warts

Warts are common.

  • Up to 10% of children and young adults have some type of non-genital wart.1
  • Plantar warts are most common among children and young adults, especially those who live together and share common bathing areas (such as university or boarding school students, gym members, or people in the military).
  • New warts generally do not appear in older adults who have never had them before.

Genital warts

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which causes genital warts, is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a virus.

  • In Canada, 20% to 33% of women are infected with some form of HPV.2
  • It is estimated that about 40% of sexually active adolescent girls are infected with HPV.3
  • Having sexual contact with an infected partner leads to an infection half of the time.


Author: Douglas Dana
Sabra L. Katz-Wise
Ralph Poore
Last Updated: January 10, 2007
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Randall D. Burr, MD - Dermatology
Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine

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