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Question:
I'm a 16 year old male and haven't yet had sexual experiences with anybody. However, over the past year I've been keeping a close eye on what I think might be a possible problem althought I don't know how long I've had it. I have noticed tiny, white, slightly raised dots covering a large part of my foreskin and don't know what they are. From pictures I've seen and books I've read I'm almost positive they're not genital warts and I've been told that you can only catch genital warts through sexual contact. Also, they only cover my foreskin and not anywhere else. As I have said, I do not know how long I have had these and may even have had them all my life. Please could you help as this has got me worried about starting sexual relations and is beginning to harm my confidence. Many thanks

Answer:
by Larry Siegel:
(06/25/2004)
Hi and thanks for taking the time to write in. Any time something seems amiss with one's genitals, it is a good idea to see a physician. Obviously, there is no way for me to diagnose or offer treatment suggestions in this format. I would strongly suggest you see your doctor for this. You're correct in that the virus for genital warts (condyloma), HPV, is spread through sexual contact. However, there are many different types of HPV, several of which do not require sexual contact. Of course, there are other types of warts or conditions that you may be observing. It can't be emphasized enough that the only way to tell what's going on would be to see your physician. Good luck. Take care and be well. Larry Siegel

Reviewed by Sexual Health Editorial Team

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