External Genital Warts: Report of the American Medical Association Consensus Conference

Abstract

A consensus process was undertaken to describe and evaluate current information and practice regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of patients with external genital warts (EGWs) and their sex partners. This process developed a number of key statements that were based on strong evidence in the literature or reasonable suppositions and opinions of experts. Key statements included the following. In most cases, EGWs can be diagnosed clinically by visual inspection. No one treatment is ideal for all patients or all warts. Women with EGWs and female sex partners of men with EGWs are at increased risk for human papillomavirus-related cervical disease and, like all women, should be screened for cervical cancer. The diagnosis of EGWs in children requires a sexual abuse evaluation. Clinicians who treat EGWs have a responsibility to counsel patients and to provide information about the infectivity, diagnosis, treatment, and natural history of EGWs and general information about sexual health and other sexually transmitted diseases.