health

It can be very difficult for people to protect themselves from common,
flat, and plantar warts, because they are so common, and the virus spreads
so easily. In addition, individuals can come into contact with HPV many
months or even a year before a wart grows big enough to see, so it is often
impossible to know for sure where and how they got the virus. If people
have a wart, it is best for other people not to touch it. It is also advisable
to avoid sharing towels and washcloths with someone who has a wart and
to wear sandals at public showers or pools or in locker rooms, to avoid
infection. The prevention of genital warts can be difficult, because skinto-
skin contact spreads them. Condoms may limit the spread of genital
warts, but because some warts grow on the skin around the genitals and
on the buttocks, a condom may not cover every one of them, making it
still possible for the HPV to pass between sexual partners. Abstaining
from sex with a person who has genital warts is the safest choice.
In 2006, the Food and Drug Administration licensed a vaccine to
fight HPV infection. Medical professionals recommend the vaccine,
called Gardasil, for all girls and young women. Studies were under way to
determine if it can also protect others groups of people, including boys and
men, from HPV infections.