Hi, i am 18 years old and notice that my anus is slightly tighter, in the shower i felt a little bump inside the anus. I have never had anal sex, and i am a virgin. I was reading, and it could be either HPV or Hemorrhoids. I do not feel discomfort, pain, and do not have problems with bowel movements. What do you think it could be?

First let me talk in general. Patients often ask me if their bump down-below is a hemorrhoid or a wart (warts are caused by HPV, human papilloma virus). Health care providers, who are familiar with that part of the anatomy, can usually tell the difference. Warts tend to have a sand-paper feeling/rough feeling to them. Hemorrhoids tend to be smoother. A hemorrhoid is nothing more than an enlarged vein, so it has the appearance of a blood vessel. Hemorrhoids can bleed. Many patients have both warts and hemorrhoids.

In your case, I would be a bit surprised if you were to have warts given that you have not had anal sex and given that you are a virgin. You may not even have a hemorrhoid. I would suggest you see a health care provider if the bump persists.

Lastly, hemorrhoids often resolve by themselves. Sometimes, however, when they resolve they leave skin tags which are fleshy type small painless growths. Patients can have skin tags (from old hemorrhoids), warts, and new hemorrhoids. In fact, all these entities can be both external (visible to the eye of the examiner) and internal.