Genital Warts (Human Papillomavirus): Home Treatment

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Home Treatment

Home treatments may not cure genital warts. However, a health professional may prescribe medicine that you can use at home, such as podofilox lotion or gel or imiquimod cream.

Caution: Do not use nonprescription wart removal products to treat genital warts. These products are not intended for the genital area and may cause serious burning.

You can use at-home care to feel more comfortable.⁶

Take sitz baths. Fill a tub with a few inches of warm water and sit in it for 10 or 15 minutes every day.
Squeeze warm water from a bottle over your genital area to provide comfort and cleansing.
Use a heat lamp or a hair dryer several times a day to dry your genital area. Make sure to hold the lamp or dryer at least 18 inches from your skin.

Finding out that you have genital warts may cause you to have negative thoughts or feelings about yourself or about sex. Some of these include:

Feeling ashamed or embarrassed.
Being afraid of the consequences of the infection.
Being angry at the person who infected you.
Feeling frustrated with treatment or the recurrence of warts.
Feeling scared to have sexual intercourse.

It is important to remember that most infections are minor, without serious complications. Some cases of genital warts disappear without treatment, although human papillomavirus (HPV) will still be present in your body's cells.

Most male sex partners of women with genital warts also are infected with warts. Many men are unaware they have genital warts because the warts are so small. Warts are often treated if they are large or cause pain or bleeding. There is no evidence that treating an infected male partner lowers the risk of a woman developing genital warts after her warts are treated.

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Last updated:	August 17, 2006
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, MPH - Infectious Disease
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman

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