Treatment of genital warts: facts and controversies

Abstract

There are two opposing approaches in the treatment of genital warts: (1) the traditional approach advocates complete elimination of all lesions, and (2) a second approach regards condyloma as merely a cosmetic nuisance. After a long journey through many arguments and scientific papers, we have concluded that many unknowns, uncertainties, and controversies concerning the value of treatment of genital warts in terms of clearing and curing the disease (ie, eradicating the viruses, preventing cancer, and reducing infectivity). There is no consensus at present of whether treatment of men with evidence of genital human papillomavirus infection influences the natural history of their female sex partner's cervical disease.