Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

When To Call A Professional

Make an appointment with your doctor whenever you suspect that you have a wart on your face, genitals or anus. If you have a wart on another area, you can try nonprescription treatments on your own, and see the doctor only if home treatment does not work.

If you are older than 45, talk to your doctor before trying to remove a common wart with an over-the-counter remedy. Your doctor may want to test for skin cancer.

Prognosis

The outlook varies. Without treatment, about 50% of common warts disappear on their own within 6 to 12 months. Others dissolve when an over-the-counter remedy is used for several weeks or months. Of the office-based therapies, surgical removal of a wart gives the best immediate results, because the wart is cut away in one doctor's visit. Other forms of therapy require several office visits. After a wart has been removed, there is no guarantee that it will not come back, because it is difficult to be certain that HPV infection has been eliminated from the deeper layers of the infected skin. Some stubborn warts require several rounds of treatment before they go away for good.

Additional Info

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse National Insitutes of Health 1 AMS Circle Bethesda, MD 20892-3675 Phone: (301) 495-4484 Toll-Free: (877) 226-4267 Fax: (301) 718-6366 TTY: (301) 565-2966 E-Mail: Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. http://www.niams.nih.gov/

American Social Health Association P.O. Box 13827 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Phone: (919) 361-8400 Fax: (919) 361-8425 E-Mail: Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. http://www.ashastd.org/