This pamphlet inform readers about the cause and prevention of genital warts, which currently infect 20 million people in the U.S., most of them between the ages of 20 and 24.

Readers are warned that the virus can be spread by skin-to-skin contact short of intercourse, and that the risk of infection does not go away with the disappearance or removal of the warts. Only medical testing following treatment can determine when it is safe to resume sex.

Abstinence and restricting sex to one uninfected partner are the recommended prevention strategies. Condom use is recommended, but with the caveat that it is not a fully effective preventive measure.

Readers wishing to know more about the subject are referred to the National STD Hotline and to In the Know Zone, Fox Pro Media's free STD information Web site.