Tests for HPV
In most cases, HPV does not show any physical signs. However, if warts (or 'condyloma') do appear they can present in different ways, depending on the type of virus and where on the body they develop. Warts on the skin tend to be small areas of raised or flat toughened skin, usually on the hands and feet.
Genital warts appear on moist surfaces, especially at the entrance of the vagina and around the anus in women. They can appear on the penis and scrotum and around the anus in men. Genital warts may be small, flat, flesh-coloured bumps or tiny, soft, cauliflower-like growths. Individual warts may only measure 1 to 2 millimetres. In some cases, the warts are so small, they cannot be seen. However, clusters of warts can cover quite a large area. Genital warts are not usually uncomfortable, but for a few people they can itch, burn, feel tender or painful and sometimes bleed.
It is hard to predict what will happen when genital warts appear. Often they disappear of their own accord as the individual person develops immunity. However, this may take weeks, months or sometimes even years. For others they grow and spread. Most people find them unsightly and request they be treated. There are many treatments available, with different levels of success. For some people the genital warts continue to reappear, despite several treatments.
Tests for HPV
It is impossible to do a test to show that someone does NOT have HPV, but there are some tests that can show that someone DOES have HPV. People are not routinely tested for HPV and it is impossible to determine how long someone has had a HPV infection. There are specific blood tests that may show a person has had a HPV infection in the past, but the test cannot determine if HPV is currently present.
Women are 'indirectly' tested for HPV through routine pap tests, but a pap test cannot tell which type of HPV virus is present.