Genital Warts Treatment in Chennai: Warts on the Penis, What Works and When Circumcision Helps

Written and medically reviewed by Dr Shah Dupesh, MBBS, DCE, FASM, Consultant Andrologist & Sexologist, Chennai · Last reviewed: 5 October 2026

Found a bump? Call 97907 83856 or message me on WhatsApp. Send a message any time; we reply when we open, and you are seen in private, by me, in T Nagar.

Hello! Vanakkam and Namaste. This is Dr Shah Dupesh, consultant sexologist in Chennai.

A man with warts usually comes to me after weeks of hiding them. He has searched at night, seen frightening pictures, and very often tried something from home first. In fact, some of my patients have even poured Dettol over the penis to burn the warts off.

So let me say it plainly at the start. Genital warts are common, they are not cancer, and they can be treated well. However, they need a doctor’s eyes first, because many bumps are not warts at all, and the wrong treatment damages skin that heals slowly.

Below, I go through each of these in detail, in the order I explain them in my clinic. Use the list to jump to what worries you most.

What are genital warts? 7 facts every man should know

Genital warts, also called condylomata acuminata, are soft skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Penile warts are among the commonest sexually transmitted diseases in men (Leung, 2018). So here is what you actually need to know.

1. They come from HPV, mainly types 6 and 11. About 90% of genital warts are caused by these two types (CDC, 2021). The 2019 European guideline puts it at over 95% (Gilson, 2020).
2. Wart types are not cancer types. In fact, the HPV types that cause warts are different from the types that can cause cancer (CDC, 2021).

How genital warts spread, and where they appear

3. They can appear months or years after contact. For example, in one Indian study, the average gap was 2.4 months, ranging from 10 days to 4 years (Sehgal, 1988). So the wart does not prove a recent partner.
4. They like moist, covered skin. Specifically, in men they grow under the foreskin if you are not circumcised, and on the shaft if you are (CDC, 2021). The scrotum, groin, thighs, the urine opening and the skin around the anus are other sites, and rarely the mouth after oral sex.
5. They spread by skin-to-skin contact. Vaginal, anal and, less often, oral sex all pass HPV, as I explain in STDs from oral sex. A condom helps but does not cover all the skin.
6. They are usually painless. Most cause no symptoms at all, though large or rubbed warts can itch or hurt (CDC, 2021), and rubbed warts may bleed.
7. They are common in India too. For instance, in a survey of 200 Indian doctors’ clinics, about 1 in 100 patients seen had genital warts, more often men. Three in four were new cases, but among people who had had warts before, more than half had a recurrence (Khopkar, 2018).

In short, a wart is a nuisance, not a death sentence. But it is still an infection you can pass on, so it deserves proper treatment.

Is it really a genital wart? 6 lookalikes men confuse

This is the most important step, and the one men skip. Many bumps men worry about are not warts at all, so treating them would only burn healthy skin.

Pearly penile papules vs genital warts

Pearly penile papules are small, smooth, dome-shaped bumps in one or two neat rows around the rim of the glans. They are a normal variation of the skin around the glans (Deda, 2019). They are also benign, not infectious, and need no treatment (Gardner, 2019).

Warts, on the other hand, are irregular, grow in clusters, and can appear anywhere. If your bumps are all the same size and sit in a tidy ring, they are almost certainly papules. I explain the other normal bumps in STD symptoms in men.

Fordyce spots, molluscum and the flat warts of syphilis

Fordyce spots are tiny oil glands that are commonly misdiagnosed as an STD (Pietkiewicz, 2023). Molluscum, on the other hand, is a different virus with shiny, dimpled bumps. Flat, moist, grey patches can be condyloma lata, a sign of secondary syphilis, which looks like a wart but does not respond to wart treatment (CDC, 2021).

That is why any wart-like bump that does not respond to treatment, or looks flat and moist, needs a syphilis blood test, as the guideline advises (CDC, 2021). Likewise, redness and soreness under the foreskin is more often balanitis than warts.

Never treat genital warts yourself: 9 things men try, and why they harm

I am strict about this. No self-treatment, ever. The skin of the penis is thin, and what burns a wart also burns the skin around it, often deeper than you intend.

What men try at home, and what actually happens

Here is the list, with the harm each one does:

1. Antiseptic liquids such as Dettol. Made for cleaning wounds and floors, not for killing a virus in skin. So on the penis they cause chemical burns.
2. Wart removers for hands and feet. These salicylic acid products are made for thick sole skin. As a result, on genital skin they cause ulcers.
3. Acid paints and podophyllin at home. Podophyllin is no longer a recommended treatment because of severe whole-body poisoning when used over large areas (CDC, 2021). It has caused nerve damage (Filley, 1982).
4. Garlic, apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, toothpaste. None has good trial evidence for genital warts. The international HPV society says commercially promoted products lack robust evidence (Arroyo Mühr, 2026).
5. Cutting, pinching or squeezing. Warts cannot be squeezed out. Instead, tearing them spreads the virus to nearby skin.
6. Burning with a match or hot object. This leaves scars and infection, and yet the virus stays.
7. Scrubbing with a pumice stone. Rubbing broken skin can carry the virus to new spots, which doctors call autoinoculation.
8. Shaving or waxing over the warts. Because the razor nicks the skin, it spreads the virus. Trim the hair with scissors instead.
9. Chemist pills or “permanent cure” capsules. No tablet cures HPV. In fact, no therapy has proven, lasting power to eradicate the virus itself (Arroyo Mühr, 2026).

Above all, even the right medicine is harmful on the wrong diagnosis. That is why, in my clinic, a cream is prescribed only after I have examined you.

How I treat warts on the penis in Chennai: my 5-step protocol

Every man’s warts are different in number, size and site. So the plan follows what I find on examination, not a fixed package.

Step 1: A private examination

First, warts are diagnosed by looking, in good light (CDC, 2021). There is no blood test for warts, and an HPV test is not recommended to diagnose warts or to check a man (CDC, 2021).

If a bump is hard, fixed, dark, bleeding or ulcerated, or does not respond, the guideline advises a small biopsy, and I arrange one (CDC, 2021). Warts at the urine opening or inside the anus need a different plan from skin warts, so tell me if you have any there.

What your visit looks like: you are seen privately, by me, usually the same day you message. I examine you, tell you plainly what the bump is, test where needed and start treatment. Your partner is welcome to come too.

Step 2: Test for the infections that travel with warts

Because warts are sexually spread, people with warts benefit from testing for other STDs (CDC, 2021). So I check for syphilis and HIV with a blood test and, if there is any discharge or burning, a swab NAAT for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, with results in 2 days. You can read how I test in my confidential STD clinic page.

Step 3: Imiquimod 5% cream, my first choice

Imiquimod is not an acid. It switches on your skin’s own immune response, which acts on the wart and the skin right around it (Perry, 1999), though no cream removes the virus completely (CDC, 2021). For example, in the pivotal trial, 50% of patients cleared completely, against 11% on a dummy cream (Edwards, 1998).

Its real strength is what happens afterwards. Among people whose warts cleared, 13–19% had a wart return during the trials (Perry, 1999).

In a head-to-head trial, among people whose warts had cleared, 93.7% stayed wart-free at 6 months with imiquimod, against 73.6% after ablation alone, meaning freezing, cautery or surgery (Schöfer, 2006). It is also among the treatments with the fewest severe side effects (Saib, 2026).

How to use imiquimod cream, exactly as I prescribe it

1. Only after diagnosis. In other words, never start it on your own guess.
2. At bedtime, 3 nights a week, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday (CDC, 2021).
3. A thin layer on the outer skin warts only, rubbed in until it disappears. Never inside the urine opening or the anus.
4. Wash it off with soap and water after 6 to 10 hours, next morning (CDC, 2021).
5. Expect redness and irritation. They are common and expected effects. Message me if the skin breaks or becomes very sore, and I will adjust the plan.
6. Never use it more often than prescribed. Using it more often mainly brings more skin reactions (Perry, 1999).
7. Continue for up to 16 weeks (CDC, 2021). In fact, most men need weeks, not days.
8. No sex while the cream is on the skin. It can weaken condoms (CDC, 2021).

Be patient with it. Clearance was lower in men than in women in the early trials (Perry, 1999), and in one trial 54.5% of men cleared (Arican, 2004). Therefore I review you about every 4 weeks, as the European guideline advises, and if the response is poor, I change the plan rather than wait (Lacey, 2013).

Step 4: Circumcision for severe foreskin warts

Warts love the warm, moist space under the foreskin. When they crowd the inner foreskin and the rim of the glans, treating each wart is like weeding a garden that keeps reseeding. Circumcision, however, removes the wart-bearing skin and the moist niche together.

The evidence is small, and no trial has compared circumcision with no circumcision. In a randomised study, removing the foreskin together with the wart-bearing rim skin gave 5.7% recurrence, against 26.5% after cautery and a standard circumcision (Luo, 2006).

Similarly, a 2026 study of men with five or more foreskin warts found 12-month recurrence of 14.6% to 19.5% (Chen, 2026). Finally, a small older series of 9 men treated by laser circumcision found that all recent-onset cases and 3 in 4 long-standing cases had cleared at 3 months (Aynaud, 1992).

Circumcision is a day-care procedure, and I explain it fully in my circumcision surgery in Chennai page. It does not “cure HPV”, and I will never tell you it does. Instead, it removes the place where warts keep returning.

Step 5: Follow-up, and your partner

I see you again after treatment, because warts most often return in the first months (CDC, 2021). Your regular partner is also welcome for an examination and an STD screen, which I explain further below.

Genital warts removal and treatment options: 10 methods compared

You will read about many treatments online. So here are the main options doctors use, with what the trials actually show. No treatment is clearly superior to the others overall (CDC, 2021), so the choice depends on your warts, their site and your skin.

In my clinic, I use imiquimod cream and, for severe foreskin warts, circumcision. The others below are options you may hear about from other doctors, so you can understand them.

Creams for genital warts, used only on prescription

These are applied by you at home, but only after a doctor has confirmed the warts. Of the three, I use imiquimod.

Genital warts removal by a doctor

These are carried out by a doctor in a clinic or operation theatre. In my clinic, I offer circumcision for severe foreskin warts.

Which genital warts treatment works best?

Burning, freezing or cutting a wart off clears it fastest. In fact, only surgical methods have clearance rates close to 100%, yet warts recur after every therapy, often in 20–30% or more (Lacey, 2013).

Imiquimod works more slowly, but in a head-to-head trial fewer people had warts return than after ablation alone (Schöfer, 2006). I show the return rates for each method further down, in the section on why warts come back.

So the honest answer is not “the strongest” treatment, but the right one for your warts. The scorecard below shows how each method scores on five plain checks.

For stubborn warts, specialists sometimes try second-line options such as injections that stimulate the immune system, light therapy or other creams. These remain second-line or investigational (Gilson, 2020; Arroyo Mühr, 2026).

Why I do not use podophyllin or “HPV cure” tablets

Podophyllin resin may still be offered, but it is no longer a recommended regimen because safer options exist and it has caused severe poisoning (CDC, 2021). Podophyllotoxin, its purified form, also works better (Lacey, 2003).

No tablet clears HPV. Specific antiviral therapy is not recommended for warts (CDC, 2021), and no therapy has proven, lasting power to eradicate the virus itself (Arroyo Mühr, 2026). So I will never sell you capsules for warts.

Can genital warts go away on their own?

Sometimes, yes. In fact, about one-third of penile warts go away without treatment, after about 9 months on average (Leung, 2018). Untreated warts can also stay the same, or grow in size and number (CDC, 2021).

Waiting is an acceptable choice for some people (CDC, 2021). However, active treatment clears them faster and eases the worry of passing them on (Leung, 2018).

And if you are not sure the bump is a wart at all, my guide to STD symptoms in men explains the other causes. Still, most men do not want to wait nine months, and I understand that.

Why HPV warts come back: 6 reasons, and what helps

Treatment removes the warts you can see. It does not always remove the virus in the skin around them, so new warts can appear even after a perfect treatment.

1. Virus in the nearby skin. Recurrence is common in the first 3 months (CDC, 2021). This is the window when I want to see you.
2. Smoking. Specifically, warts are more frequent and recur more often in smokers (Kaderli, 2014). Stopping smoking helps your treatment.
3. Low immunity. For example, people with HIV can have larger warts and more frequent recurrences (CDC, 2021). In one study of warts treated with light therapy, HIV raised the risk of recurrence more than four times (Zhou, 2022). If you have never been tested, read my HIV window period guide and my HIV and AIDS page.
4. A partner with HPV. In one study, a partner carrying HPV was linked to about five times higher odds of recurrence (Zhan, 2022). Also, partners often already share the virus (CDC, 2021).
5. Stopping too early. Imiquimod needs weeks. So stopping at the first redness leaves warts half treated.
6. Foreskin folds. The moist space under the foreskin keeps the virus close to the skin, which is why I advise circumcision for severe foreskin warts.

How often warts return after each treatment

Here is how often warts came back after each method in the trials. The studies differ, so treat it as a rough guide, not a ranking.

An Indian survey also found that among people who had had warts before, more than half had a recurrence (Khopkar, 2018). So a return is not your failure, and it is not a sign that the first treatment was fake.

Are genital warts cancer? When a wart needs a biopsy

No. Ordinary genital warts are benign, and the HPV types that cause them are different from the types that cause cancer (CDC, 2021). This is the fear I hear most, so I want to be clear.

There is one rare exception. Specifically, a giant wart, called the Buschke–Löwenstein tumour, grows into a large mass, mostly in men, is linked to smoking and HIV, and in one series half contained cancer (Zhang, 2020). Also, rarely, especially in people with HIV, a wart-like lesion hides precancerous change (CDC, 2021).

Therefore, a biopsy is advised for any wart that is:

• dark or pigmented;
• hard, or fixed to the tissue below;
• bleeding or ulcerated;
• not responding to treatment, or growing despite it (CDC, 2021).

A firm lump inside the scrotum is a different matter from a skin wart, and I explain it in lumps on the testicle.

HPV in men: the honest numbers

You may have read that “90% of men have HPV”. However, I could not find good evidence for that number. What is true is that most sexually active people get HPV at some point in life, and most never know it (CDC, 2021).

Numbers from real studies are lower than the internet claims. For example, a third of young uncircumcised Danish men carried genital HPV at one test (Nielsen, 2013). Moreover, in most men, the body clears the infection on its own over time (Qi, 2026).

Equally important, HPV tests are not useful for men, and they should not be used to check a man or diagnose warts (CDC, 2021). If a lab or clinic sells you one, it will not change your treatment. My STD clinic page explains which tests are actually useful.

Partners, condoms and the HPV vaccine

Should my partner be tested?

Partners tend to share HPV, and nobody can tell who passed it to whom (CDC, 2021). Equally, having HPV does not mean that you or your partner had sex outside the relationship (CDC, 2021). An HPV test for the partner is not recommended, but an examination and an STD screen are useful (CDC, 2021).

Do condoms protect against genital warts?

Partly. Men without a steady partner who always used condoms had about half the risk of catching HPV (Pierce Campbell, 2013).

However, HPV lives on skin a condom does not cover (CDC, 2021). If a condom broke recently, read my condom broke guide, and if it was within 72 hours, ask about PEP today.

Paid encounters carry more risk than men expect, even without full sex, as I explain in massage parlour STD risk.

Does the HPV vaccine help men?

The vaccine prevents warts; it does not treat them. In men aged 16 to 26 who had not yet met those HPV types, the quadrivalent vaccine was 90.4% effective against the related genital lesions (Giuliano, 2011). Similarly, after Australia’s programme, warts fell by 45% in heterosexual men (Chow, 2021).

However, the vaccine will not treat existing warts (CDC, 2021). Added after treatment, it did not lower recurrence in men (Coskuner, 2014) or clearly in women (Asl, 2025).

So it is worth knowing about, and you can decide on it calmly. In the US guideline, it is routine for adolescents with catch-up to age 26, and from 27 to 45 it is a shared decision with your doctor (CDC, 2021).

If your partner is pregnant

Podophyllotoxin, podophyllin and sinecatechins should not be used in pregnancy, and imiquimod is best avoided until more data are available (CDC, 2021). One review recommends freezing as the first choice in pregnancy (Sugai, 2021).

A caesarean is not done only to stop HPV passing to the baby, but it may be needed if large warts block the birth canal or would bleed heavily (CDC, 2021). In any case, her obstetrician will guide her.

Warts rarely come alone: the other STDs I check

If you caught HPV, you may have caught something else at the same time, often without any symptom. That is why I check for the other infections that matter:

• Syphilis, with a blood test, especially for flat or moist warts;
• HIV, with a blood test timed to your exposure;
• Chlamydia and gonorrhoea, with a swab NAAT if there is any discharge or burning;
• Hepatitis B and, where the history suggests it, hepatitis C.

In addition, if you also have painful blisters, that is more likely herpes than warts, and it is treated quite differently.

What decides the cost of genital warts treatment in Chennai?

I do not quote one price for warts, because no two cases are the same. The cost depends on:

• the number and size of the warts;
• where they are: shaft, foreskin, scrotum, groin or anus;
• whether a cream is enough, or circumcision is needed;
• which other STD tests your history calls for;
• how many follow-up visits you need.

Call or WhatsApp 97907 83856, or visit my clinic in T Nagar, and I will tell you plainly what your case needs after examining you.

Above all, your visit is private, and nothing you tell me is shared with anyone.

Found a bump down there? Your next steps

If you have read this far, you probably have a bump you are worried about. Here is what to do, in order.

1. Do not touch it. No pinching, no antiseptics, no creams from the chemist.
2. Pause sex until you have been examined.
3. Get examined. A private visit tells you whether it is a wart or a harmless lookalike.
4. Test for other STDs that travel with warts.
5. Treat and review. Imiquimod as prescribed, circumcision if the foreskin is badly affected, and a follow-up visit in the first months.

Many men also carry a heavy load of shame and worry about their relationship. If that is you, psychosexual counselling helps alongside the treatment.

Genital warts FAQs

Is genital warts 100% curable?

The warts can be removed, but no medicine kills HPV. Warts often come back, in 20–30% of people or more, so follow-up matters. Over time, most people’s immune system controls the virus.

Is genital warts a lifelong STD?

Usually not. In fact, most HPV infections clear over time, and many warts never return after treatment. However, nobody can predict how long the virus stays after the warts go.

What is the best treatment for genital warts?

There is no single best one. For many men I prescribe imiquimod 5% cream after examining them. For severe warts crowding the foreskin, I advise circumcision, because it removes the wart-bearing skin.

What cream or medicine removes genital warts?

Prescription creams: imiquimod 5%, my first choice, podophyllotoxin and sinecatechins, never bought over the counter. They act on the warts, not the virus. No tablet removes warts, and hand or foot wart removers must never go on the penis.

Can genital warts be cured without surgery?

Yes, often. In fact, many men clear their warts with imiquimod cream alone. Surgery or circumcision is kept for large clusters, warts that resist cream, or severe warts crowding the foreskin.

What kills genital warts quickly?

Freezing, cautery or excision clear warts fastest, in one or a few visits. Imiquimod is slower, but in one trial fewer people had warts return than after removal alone. No home product works quickly or safely.

What are the symptoms of genital warts (condyloma acuminata)?

Soft, skin-coloured, pink or grey bumps, flat or cauliflower-like, on the penis, foreskin, scrotum, groin or around the anus. Most cause no pain; large ones can itch or hurt.

What does HPV look like on a man?

Usually nothing at all: most men with HPV have no sign. When it shows, it causes genital warts, which are soft, skin-coloured or grey bumps, flat or cauliflower-like, single or in clusters.

What happens if a man gets HPV?

Usually nothing. Most men never know, and the body clears the virus over time.

Some get genital warts. Rarely, the high-risk types are linked to penile, anal or throat cancer.

Can I have a normal life with HPV?

Yes. Most men with HPV never have a problem, and warts are treatable. You can have a normal relationship and sex life; get examined, and use condoms with new partners.

How long does HPV last in men? Is it contagious for life?

Usually not for life. In most men the body clears HPV over time, but nobody can tell exactly when, and it can still spread after the warts have gone.

Is it a genital wart or just a pimple?

A pimple or ingrown hair is red, tender, often has a white head and settles in days. A wart, by contrast, is painless, skin-coloured and rough, and it stays or grows. If unsure, let me look.

How do I know if it is a genital wart or pearly penile papules?

Pearly penile papules are tiny, even, smooth domes in neat rows around the rim of the glans, and they are normal. Warts, however, are irregular, cauliflower-like and appear anywhere.

What is the difference between condyloma lata and condyloma acuminata?

Condyloma acuminata are HPV warts. Condyloma lata are flat, moist patches of secondary syphilis that need a blood test and penicillin. So wart treatment does not work on them.

Do all warts mean an STD?

No. Warts on the hands and feet come from different HPV types and are not sexual. Warts on the genitals are usually sexually spread, but many genital bumps are not warts at all.

What exactly causes genital warts in the private area?

Human papillomavirus, mostly types 6 and 11, passed by skin-to-skin sexual contact. Warts can appear months or even years after the contact.

How long do genital warts last?

Untreated, they can last months or years; about one-third go away in around 9 months. With treatment, warts typically respond within 3 months, though they can return.

How long does imiquimod take to work on genital warts?

Usually several weeks. It is applied 3 nights a week for up to 16 weeks. Redness in the first weeks is a common, expected effect.

Is imiquimod painful, and what are its side effects?

Applying it does not hurt. Redness, itching, soreness and raw patches are common where it works.

Rarely it leaves lighter skin or flares psoriasis or vitiligo. Message me if the skin breaks down.

Can I remove or squeeze out genital warts myself?

No. A wart is infected skin, not a pocket of pus.

Squeezing, cutting, antiseptic liquids, acids, hand-wart removers and home remedies burn the skin and spread the warts. Always get examined first.

Is cryotherapy effective for genital warts?

It can clear warts over a few sessions, but about 45% recur within 6 months. It stings and can blister. I prefer imiquimod for most men.

Does circumcision help genital warts?

It can, for severe warts crowding the foreskin. It removes the wart-bearing skin and the moist space where they keep returning. Studies are small: warts returned in about 6–27% of men.

How many times will genital warts come back?

Nobody can predict it. Warts often return, in 20–30% of people or more, especially in the first 3 months. Smoking, low immunity and a partner with HPV raise the risk.

Do 90% of men have HPV?

That figure is not supported by good evidence. Most sexually active people get HPV at some point and most never know. Real studies show lower numbers at any one time.

Where did my partner get HPV, and should I worry?

Nobody can tell, because warts can appear months or years after contact and partners often share HPV. It does not mean anyone cheated. Do not panic; get both of you examined.

Can men take the HPV vaccine, even at 40?

Yes. It prevents warts but does not treat existing ones. In the US guideline it is routine for adolescents, catch-up to 26, and a shared decision with your doctor from 27 to 45.

Is wart removal painful?

Imiquimod causes soreness, not pain like a procedure. Freezing stings and sometimes needs a numbing injection; cautery and circumcision are done under anaesthesia, so you feel little.

Which doctor is best for genital warts in Chennai?

An andrologist, sexologist or STD specialist who examines men every day. At my clinic in T Nagar, I examine, confirm, test for other STDs and treat, privately.

How much does genital warts treatment cost in Chennai?

It depends on the number, size and site of the warts, and whether a cream or circumcision is needed. Call 97907 83856 and I will explain after examining you.

The bottom line on genital warts treatment

Genital warts are common, benign and treatable. So get the bump examined first, test for the other STDs, and use a proper treatment: for many men, imiquimod cream, and for severe foreskin warts, circumcision. Never burn them yourself.

I hope this helped. This is Dr Shah, consultant andrologist in Chennai.

Call or WhatsApp 97907 83856. Nothing you say leaves the room.

References

Guidelines, reviews and Indian data

1. Workowski KA, et al. Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021. 2021. PMID 34292926.
2. Gilson R, et al. 2019 IUSTI-Europe guideline for the management of anogenital warts. 2020. PMID 32735077.
3. Lacey CJ, et al. 2012 European guideline for the management of anogenital warts. 2013. PMID 22409368.
4. Leung AK, et al. Penile warts: an update on their evaluation and management. 2018. PMID 30622585.
5. Arroyo Mühr LS, et al. International Papillomavirus Society statement on reputed treatments for human papillomavirus infection and human papillomavirus-related diseases: evidence, risks, and standards for clinical evaluation. 2026. PMID 42680631.
6. Sehgal VN, et al. Clinicopathology and immunohistochemistry of genital warts. 1988. PMID 2853141.
7. Khopkar US, et al. Prevalence and Burden Related to Genital Warts in India. 2018. PMID 29717924.

Creams: imiquimod, podophyllotoxin and sinecatechins

8. Edwards L, et al. Self-administered topical 5% imiquimod cream for external anogenital warts. HPV Study Group. Human PapillomaVirus. 1998. PMID 9449906.
9. Perry CM, et al. Topical imiquimod: a review of its use in genital warts. 1999. PMID 10473026.
10. Schöfer H, et al. Randomized, comparative trial on the sustained efficacy of topical imiquimod 5% cream versus conventional ablative methods in external anogenital warts. 2006. PMID 17229604.
11. Arican O, et al. Topical imiquimod 5% cream in external anogenital warts: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. 2004. PMID 15492435.
12. Saib R, et al. Adverse Effects of Treatments for Anogenital Warts in Non-immunocompromised Adults: A Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. 2026. PMID 42507080.
13. Lacey CJ, et al. Randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of podophyllotoxin solution, podophyllotoxin cream, and podophyllin in the treatment of genital warts. 2003. PMID 12902571.
14. Tatti S, et al. Polyphenon E: a new treatment for external anogenital warts. 2010. PMID 19709100.

Procedures and circumcision

15. Gaspari V, et al. Assessment of sinecatechins 10% ointment used as proactive sequential therapy in recurrence rate of genital warts lesions after cryotherapy. The PACT-II Trial (postablation immunomodulator treatment of condylomata with sinecatechins): a prospective assessor-blinded, multicenter, pilot trial. 2022. PMID 35176844.
16. Challenor R, et al. A five-year audit of the treatment of extensive anogenital warts by day case electrosurgery under general anaesthesia. 2002. PMID 12437902.
17. Barton S, et al. Effectiveness of topical and ablative therapies in treatment of anogenital warts: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. 2019. PMID 31676644.
18. Widschwendter A, et al. Recurrence of genitals warts in pre-HPV vaccine era after laser treatment. 2019. PMID 31286210.
19. Luo KP, et al. [Treatment of multiple condyloma acuminatum of the coronary sulcus with sleeve circumcision of prepuce and coronary sulcus skin (a report of 35 cases)]. 2006. PMID 16597042.
20. Chen H, et al. Stapler vs. sleeve circumcision for multiple penile condylomata acuminata: a comparative study. 2026. PMID 42694257.
21. Aynaud O, et al. [Value of therapeutic circumcision in diffuse condylomata acuminata]. 1992. PMID 1605520.

Recurrence, cancer and lookalikes

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Prevention, partners and the vaccine

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