Genital Warts vs Herpes

Medically reviewed by
Dr Zoe MillerLast reviewed: 11 May 2025
Genital warts and genital herpes are infections caused by 2 different viruses that affect the skin in the genital area. Genital warts and genital herpes are both sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This means they are passed on through sex or close sexual contact.
In this guide, you can find out about the differences between genital warts and genital herpes, including differing symptoms, treatments, prevention, and more.
About genital warts and herpes
Genital warts and genital herpes are 2 very common conditions that affect millions of people in the UK. Researchers have estimated that over a fifth of adults worldwide have genital herpes, while between 3.8 and 4.6% of UK adults have had genital warts.
Knowing whether you have genital warts or herpes can be difficult because they share a few similar symptoms. They can therefore be confused with one another. However, they are different conditions with different causes, and they require different treatments.
Comparing genital warts vs genital herpes
This table gives an overview comparison of genital warts and genital herpes, including how they are caused and spread, their symptoms, and how they are diagnosed and treated:
Genital herpes | Genital warts | |
---|---|---|
Cause | Herpes simplex virus (type 1 and type 2) |
Human papillomavirus |
How it's spread | Spread through:
It’s more contagious during outbreaks, but can be spread at any time. |
Spread through:
|
Symptoms | Often symptomless until an outbreak. During an outbreak, the main symptoms are lesions which look similar to blisters or ulcers that fill with liquid and then burst, before scabbing over. These can occur on:
Before lesions appear, you may feel a tingling sensation. Other symptoms may include:
|
Many people have no visible symptoms until an outbreak. During an outbreak, you may notice small warts that are raised or flat, and may appear the same colour as the skin. For women, warts usually appear gritty and small. For men, warts can be raised, hard, and rough. They may appear on:
Other symptoms may include:
|
Diagnosis | Examination by a doctor or sexual health nurse, or a lab test (which involves taking a swab of a blister during an outbreak). |
Examination by a doctor or sexual health nurse. Sometimes a lab test is required, but usually a doctor can diagnose from looking at the warts. |
Treatment | No long-term cure exists. Genital herpes outbreaks can be treated with antivirals like aciclovir that help speed up recovery and make symptoms less severe. |
May resolve by itself. Treatments include creams like Warticon, or wart removal through freezing or surgery. |
What is the difference between genital warts and genital herpes?
The difference between genital warts and genital herpes is that they are caused by different viruses.
Genital warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 different types of HPV, but there are 2 strains of HPV that cause most genital warts: HPV type 6 and HPV type 11.
Genital herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are 2 types of HSV:
- herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) usually causes oral herpes (known as cold sores) but can also cause genital herpes
- herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), which usually causes genital herpes but can also cause oral herpes
A lot of people think that genital warts are the same as herpes. Although they are both STIs and can cause lesions that may look a little similar to one another, the symptoms and the treatment of genital warts and herpes are different.
Both genital warts and genital herpes are spread by close sexual contact (skin-to-skin) during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. They can also be spread through sharing sex toys and touching each other's genitals. While using a condom can reduce this risk, as there’s still skin-to-skin contact with condoms, they cannot fully protect you against catching genital warts or herpes.
Symptoms of genital herpes and genital warts
Genital warts and genital herpes cause different symptoms. Although both genital warts and genital herpes affect the skin in the genital area, they lead to different types of lesions.
If you have genital warts, small, flesh coloured lumps develop in the genital area or anus. These are sometimes described as looking like the top of a cauliflower (not everyone gets this symptom).
The main symptom of genital herpes is herpes sores, which are small blisters that burst and lead to ulcers.
Let’s have a look at the symptoms of genital herpes vs warts in more detail.
Genital herpes symptoms
The most common symptom of genital herpes is small blisters, which go through stages:
- The first sign of genital herpes can be a tingling or itching feeling in the affected area.
- After a few days, blisters begin to appear and start to fill with fluid. The rash might cause some pain.
- A few days later, the blisters burst and turn into ulcers. It can take some time for the ulcers to close up and heal.
Genital herpes blisters can develop anywhere in the genital area and the anus. For men, genital herpes on the penis may appear on the tip, the shaft, or the base.
If you have an outbreak of genital herpes, you may just have 1 or 2 blisters, or many. The first time you have a genital herpes infection, you may feel unwell with a fever and flu-like symptoms. In women, genital herpes may make it painful for you to urinate, and you may notice an unusual vaginal discharge.

Genital herpes may vary on different skin tones. Redness is more common on lighter or white skin. On darker skin, herpes may be more subtle or less red, such as appearing more brown or purple.
Frequency of symptoms
After an outbreak of genital herpes, the herpes simplex virus does not leave your body. The virus lies dormant in a nerve in the area where the infection entered your body. The virus can become reactivated some weeks or months later, leading to another genital herpes outbreak.
In a genital herpes outbreak, blisters can form again and then burst and develop into ulcers as before. Over time, outbreaks tend to become less severe, lasting for a shorter length of time and with less severe symptoms.
You’re more likely to experience a genital herpes outbreak if you’re also stressed, sick, or experiencing hormonal changes, for example, during your period.
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Genital warts symptoms
The main symptom of genital warts is small, flesh coloured lumps that appear in the genital area. You may also notice some itching or inflammation in the affected area. Some bleeding may occur if the warts become inflamed or are scratched. In men, if you have warts in your urethra (the tube which empties the bladder), you may notice your stream of urine appearing to go sideways.
There are different types of genital warts, and they often develop in areas of high friction. Genital warts that develop on moist, soft skin (for example, on the vulva or penis) tend to feel soft. Whereas genital warts that develop on drier, hairier skin (for example the anus) tend to feel harder and drier.

Genital warts can develop on the vulva, vagina, and cervix (neck of the womb) in women and on the penis and scrotum in men. In both men and women, genital warts may also develop in or around the anus.

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Genital warts vs genital herpes: getting the right diagnosis
It’s not always obvious if you have herpes or genital warts, especially if you’re not medically trained. This is why it’s important to get a proper diagnosis. By getting tested and diagnosed, you can make sure you’re getting the right treatment for your condition.
You can visit your GP or go to a sexual health clinic to get herpes or genital warts diagnosed. If you’d prefer to get tested and treated at home, you can also get an easy-to-use self-test kit for genital herpes or request a genital wart diagnosis through our skin photo assessment service.
There is no need to feel embarrassed about talking to a doctor about genital herpes or genital warts. They see these conditions all the time, and they are very common. What is most important is getting the right diagnosis, so you can get treatment and feel better.

“If you notice any lesions, ulcers or warts around your genitals (penis or vagina), on your upper thighs, your bottom or elsewhere, we recommend getting them checked by a doctor or nurse so you can protect not just yourself but your sexual partners. We now have very effective treatments that can help with managing these conditions”. – Dr Zoe Miller, Medical Editor.
Prevention of genital warts or herpes
It’s not always possible to prevent genital warts or genital herpes, but you can reduce the chance of catching or passing them on by:
- using a condom during vaginal or anal sex
- using a dental dam during oral sex
- avoiding sex during an active outbreak
In the UK, a vaccine protecting against HPV is available. The HPV vaccine protects against certain strains of HPV that can cause cervical cancer as well as genital warts. Contact your GP about getting the HPV vaccine. There is currently no herpes vaccine available.
Triggers
Sometimes, there is no obvious trigger for a genital herpes or warts outbreak, and they can vary from person to person. However, if you’re aware of things that trigger your outbreaks, you may be able to take steps to avoid them.
Triggers of genital herpes and warts outbreaks may include:
- having a cold or other illness
- stress
- a weakened immune system
- exposure to sunlight (if the usually affected skin is exposed to sunlight)
- hormonal changes (including the menstrual cycle)
If you have repeated genital herpes outbreaks (more than 6 genital herpes outbreaks in a year), you may be able to take preventative antiviral medication to reduce them. Speak to your doctor for advice.
What are the treatment options for genital warts and genital herpes?
There are different treatment options for herpes and genital warts.
Genital herpes treatment
There are 3 different antiviral medications commonly used to treat genital herpes outbreaks:
When taken early in an outbreak, antiviral medication can shorten the length of time the outbreak lasts and reduce the severity of your symptoms.
If you’d like to order genital herpes treatments online, you can request treatment by filling in ZAVA’s quick health questionnaire, and one of our doctors will review what genital herpes medication is suitable for you.
Genital warts treatment
Small genital warts can be treated with a topical solution called Condyline, or creams like Aldara or Warticon. You may need further treatment for genital warts, especially if the warts are large. In some cases, freezing warts (cryotherapy) or surgery is advised. Warts can disappear by themselves in around 30% of people within 4 months, so your doctor may advise you to wait and see if they go away on their own first.
If you need treatment, complete our online form, and a doctor from ZAVA will review which genital warts treatment is suitable for you.
Which is curable, genital herpes or warts?
Neither genital herpes nor warts is curable, as you cannot cure the virus that causes them, though outbreaks can be treated.
There are several treatments for visible genital warts available, which include applying creams or ointments, freezing the warts off, or cutting the warts out (surgery). It’s important to understand that it can sometimes be difficult to remove genital warts, and they can sometimes return, so it may take a few treatment attempts before your body finally clears the virus.
Unfortunately, no cure currently exists for genital herpes, though there are treatments available to ease symptoms.
Knowing the difference between genital herpes and warts
Genital herpes and genital warts have different symptoms and causes. In this guide, we’ve compared both, so you can have a better understanding of which you may have. Knowing the differences between genital herpes and genital warts can help you be sure you’re getting the right treatment for your condition, but we still recommend getting a formal diagnosis from a healthcare professional.
At ZAVA, we provide medication for both genital warts and genital herpes, prescribed by our expert team of online doctors and delivered discreetly to your door.

After completing her first degree, she went on to study graduate-entry medicine at Warwick University. After graduating as a doctor, she worked within the West Midlands in Urology, Respiratory Medicine, Infectious Disease, and Psychiatry before transitioning into a full-time medical communications role.
Meet our doctorsLast reviewed: 11 May 2025
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Genital warts, NHS [accessed March 2025]





