If you have found a new bump on your penis, scrotum, vulva or around the anus, get it looked at by a clinician instead of treating it at home. Genital warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), and according to CDC's STI treatment guidelines, about 90% are caused by HPV types 6 and 11, the low-risk types that do not cause cancer. They are treatable, and a clinician can usually diagnose them by looking.
What genital warts look like on brown and dark skin
Forget the pink bumps in most photos. A 2025 evidence review in American Family Physician describes genital warts as single or multiple lesions that "may coalesce or be the same color as surrounding skin, cauliflower-like, flat, papular, or keratotic" (Temple et al., 2025). CDC describes them as "a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area" that "can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower" (CDC).
Put those two descriptions on brown or dark skin and the practical meaning is simple: a skin-colored wart is a brown bump, not a pink one. Warts can also be darker than the skin around them. Dermatologists call these pigmented warts, and a 2014 case report in the Journal of Dermatology notes that pigmented condyloma "is not rare" and can be hard to tell apart from seborrheic keratosis and bowenoid papulosis (Shimizu et al., 2014). So if you are scanning your skin for something pink, you can miss a flat brown patch or a cluster of small dark bumps.
What to look for instead: a new bump or group of bumps that was not there before, a rough or cauliflower-like surface, flat raised patches, or growths that slowly increase in number. Warts are often painless. Point out anything that is dark, hard, fixed to the tissue underneath, bleeding or open. CDC lists "pigmented, indurated, affixed to underlying tissue, bleeding, or ulcerated lesions" as reasons for a biopsy, so a clinician should look closely at those rather than freeze them on sight.
Bumps that get mistaken for warts
Pearly penile papules. These are "benign fibrous papules on the genitals," are "noninfectious," and "do not require treatment," but they "can be clinically confused with condylomata acuminata" (genital warts), according to a 2019 study in the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. The same is true of vulvar vestibular papules in women (Gardner and Crawford, 2019). They are not an STI and need no treatment.
Molluscum contagiosum. A 2024 study of genital warts and their look-alikes included 12 molluscum lesions that "clinically mimic genital warts" (Cinotti et al., 2024). CDC describes molluscum bumps as firm, "sometimes with a dip in the center," and notes that many adult infections spread through sex (CDC).
Skin tags. A skin tag, which clinicians call a fibroepithelial polyp, can look warty. In a 2024 case report, a large scrotal growth was treated as a wart, did not respond to imiquimod, and turned out after removal to be "an inflamed fibroepithelial polyp" (Ezeh and Tomkins, 2024).
Syphilis. Secondary syphilis can produce raised growths called condyloma lata. A 2009 case report described one as "a fleshy, hyperpigmented, verrucous plaque" that resembled genital warts; a syphilis blood test was positive and penicillin cleared it (Deshpande et al., 2009). If a growth near the genitals or anus does not look like a typical wart, ask for a syphilis test.
Warts are not the HPV types that cause cancer
Hearing "HPV" can make people think cancer. For warts, that is the wrong worry. CDC states that "the types of HPV that cause genital warts are different from the types that can cause cancer" (CDC's STI treatment guidelines). Higher-risk types occasionally turn up in warts, usually alongside types 6 or 11, so have anything unusual examined.
Community health centers offer Pap smears and HPV screening on a sliding scale, often the exact test a paid telehealth visit would refer you out for anyway. Our directory of free and charitable clinics lists centers by state. A self-pay telehealth follow-up for an abnormal result is not billed to Medicaid, so book the screening at a clinic first. If you need a follow-up visit sooner:
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Warts do not always need treatment to go away. CDC says untreated warts "can resolve spontaneously, remain unchanged, or increase in size or number." Treating them for comfort or appearance is a reasonable choice to make with a clinician.
Treatment: what a clinician can do and what you can apply
CDC's guidelines split treatment into two groups. In-office treatments include freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy), surgical removal (scissor or shave excision, curettage, laser or electrosurgery), and trichloroacetic or bichloroacetic acid applied by the clinician. Prescription treatments you apply at home are imiquimod cream (3.75% or 5%), podofilox 0.5% solution or gel, and sinecatechins 15% ointment (CDC's STI treatment guidelines).
Each prescription option has an FDA label with an age limit. Imiquimod is approved for external genital and perianal warts in people 12 and older with a healthy immune system (FDA label). Sinecatechins (Veregen) is approved for adults 18 and older with a healthy immune system (FDA label). Podofilox gel (Condylox) is labeled for external genital and perianal warts and "is not indicated in the treatment of mucous membrane warts" (FDA label). The 2025 American Family Physician review advises avoiding podofilox, imiquimod and sinecatechins during pregnancy.
One label detail matters for brown and dark skin. Since 2024, the imiquimod label carries a warning that "hypopigmentation, including complete depigmentation" has been reported, and that in some cases it "persisted for up to 60 months." The label says to stop the cream if light patches develop. Ask your clinician how to watch for this, and call them if you see the treated skin getting lighter.
Expect follow-up. CDC notes that warts "often recur after treatment, especially during the first 3 months," so a return visit is part of the plan, not a sign that treatment failed.
There is no routine HPV test for men
CDC says "HPV tests are not recommended to screen men, adolescents, or women under the age of 30 years" (CDC). For warts specifically, CDC's treatment guidelines say diagnosis "is usually made by visual inspection but can be confirmed by biopsy," and that HPV testing is not recommended for diagnosing warts because results are not confirmatory.
So the useful request at your visit is an exam, plus a biopsy if the bump looks atypical or does not respond to treatment. While you are there, ask for HIV and syphilis testing too.
The HPV vaccine prevents the types behind most warts
Gardasil 9 is FDA-approved for girls, women, boys and men 9 through 45 years old, and its approved uses include preventing "genital warts (condyloma acuminata) caused by HPV types 6 and 11" (FDA). CDC recommends routine vaccination at 11 or 12, catch-up through age 26, and a conversation with a clinician for adults 27 through 45 who were not vaccinated when younger (CDC). The vaccine does not treat warts you already have. Our guide to the HPV vaccine for Black teens covers the dose schedule and how to get it free.
Where to get seen
A primary care clinician, a sexual health clinic or a dermatologist can examine a bump and treat warts. To find free or low-cost STI testing near you, start with our STD testing guide. For a skin specialist, search the Black dermatologists in our directory. If you are also checking out sores or blisters, our guide to genital herpes on dark skin explains what to ask for.
Bring three questions to the visit: Is this a wart or something else? Does it need a biopsy? Which treatment fits my skin, and what should I watch for afterward?
Frequently asked questions
What do genital warts look like on Black skin? ▼
They can be the same color as the surrounding skin, which on brown skin means brown, or darker than it. They may be flat, raised, rough or cauliflower-shaped, alone or in groups. Do not rely on looking for pink or red. Have any new genital bump examined.
Are HPV bumps on men a sign of cancer? ▼
Genital warts are almost always caused by HPV types 6 and 11, and CDC says the HPV types that cause warts are different from those that cause cancer. A bump that is dark, hard, fixed, bleeding or open should still be checked and may need a biopsy.
Can men get tested for HPV? ▼
There is no recommended HPV screening test for men. CDC says HPV tests are not recommended to screen men. Warts are diagnosed by a clinician looking at them, with a biopsy when the diagnosis is unclear.
Can I use over-the-counter wart remover on genital warts? ▼
No. Federal labeling rules require drugstore wart removers to warn against use on genital warts and mucous membranes. Use a prescription treatment or an in-office treatment from a clinician.
Is it a wart or pearly penile papules? ▼
Pearly penile papules are harmless, noninfectious bumps that need no treatment, but they can be confused with warts. A clinician can usually tell the difference on exam. Do not try to remove either at home.
