New patient-applied therapy for anogenital warts is rated favourably by patients

Our objective was to determine patient attitudes to having genital warts, and their perceptions of their treatment with imiquimod and other therapies. As an adjunct to a clinical trial in which patients with external genital warts were treated with imiquimod 5% cream until their warts cleared or for up to 16 weeks, quantitative questionnaires consisting of multiple choice questions and 5-point rating scales were completed prior to, and at the end, of the study period. Pre-study and poststudy questionnaires were completed by 902 and 629 patients, respectively. Patients expressed a definite concern about genital warts. The majority of patients (70%) had been previously treated for genital warts, and expressed dissatisfaction with their previous therapies. Of patients treated with imiquimod in this study, 82% reported that their warts decreased in size; this occurred within the first 4 weeks for 78% of patients. Sixty-one per cent of patients perceived that their warts completely cleared within the 16-week treatment period. Patients rated imiquimod 5% cream as better than other genital wart therapies in terms of overall satisfaction, time to clearance, convenience and lack of associated pain. In conclusion, patients rated imiquimod 5% cream as an effective treatment which clears warts in an acceptable length of time causing minimal pain and is convenient to use.