Genital Warts & HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Treatment - WebMD

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Written by Janie McQueenMedically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on June 02, 2025

• What Are the Treatment Options for Genital Warts?
• What Are Treatment Options for Internal Warts?
• Genital Warts Home Remedies
• How Do I Choose the Right Genital Warts Treatment?
• Can I Prevent Genital Warts?
• What If I Don’t Get Treated?
• Are the Treatments for Genital Warts Safe?
• Takeaways
• Genital Warts Treatment FAQs

8 min read

What Are the Treatment Options for Genital Warts?

Generally, genital warts, aka venereal warts or genital HPV, don’t cause symptoms, but they might be painful, itchy, and unsightly. Luckily, there are a number of treatments that can help. For external warts, these treatments include:

• Freezing (cryotherapy)
• Surgery
• Electrocautery
• Laser treatment
• Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP)
• Topical skin medicine

Which genital warts treatment your doctor recommends depends on things such as how many warts you have, where they are, how big they are, and your own treatment preference.

“There is no ‘one best treatment option’ for genital warts,” says Carrie Kovarik, MD, a fellow of American Academy of Dermatology and a professor of dermatology and medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. “Genital warts present in many ways, and the presentation will determine the best treatment.”

Genital warts are caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. They can show up in a variety of ways, including:

• Small to very large
• Flat or bumpy
• Located in one place or widespread
• Thick and scaly or thin and smooth
• On regular skin or mucous membranes such as your anus or rectum, vagina, or mouth

Freezing (cryotherapy)

Your doctor can freeze your warts off using liquid nitrogen and a cotton-tipped applicator or a special device called a cryoprobe. The cold is applied for 10-20 seconds. If you have a lot of warts or if they’re large, your doctor may numb the area first with a local anesthetic.

Surgery

This can get rid of all your venereal warts in a single visit. After giving you a local anesthetic, the doctor will remove your warts using a cutting instrument. These can include:

• Snipping them off with scissors
• Shaving them off with a sharp blade (this is called shave excision)

Electrocautery

Electrocautery is a process that uses a low-voltage electrical probe. In most cases, you won’t need stitches after surgery. You’ll also bleed less.

Electrocautery is usually used for warts located in small areas. 

Laser treatment

A laser often is used for genital warts treatment when warts:

• Are more widespread
• Don’t go away after treatment with drugs
• Are inside the vagina
• Are present on someone who is pregnant.

You’ll have laser treatment at a hospital under general anesthesia. You should be able to go home that day.

Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP)

This treatment removes genital warts using a wire loop that’s heated up with an electrical current. It’s usually used for larger warts. You might have LEEP in your doctor’s office with a local anesthetic and sedation meds. Sometimes LEEP is performed in a hospital with general anesthesia. 

Topical skin medicine

These are genital warts treatments you put directly on your skin. They include:

Imiquimod cream. Imiquimod is a cream you apply to your external warts to boost your immune system. You use imiquimod 5% cream at bedtime, three times a week until cleared or for 16 weeks. You put on imiquimod 3.75% cream every night until cleared or for eight weeks maximum. With either strength, you should wash the treated area with soap and water 6-10 hours after you put it on. Avoid sex while imiquimod is on your skin, as it can weaken condoms and diaphragms.

Podofilox gel and podophyllin resin. These are gels designed to kill the warts. After you apply them to an external wart, let the area air dry before you put on clothing. Podofilox isn’t recommended for warts on the cervix, vagina, or anal canal. It isn’t meant for large areas, either. If you use too much or don’t let it air dry, you could spread the gel to other body parts and irritate your skin.

Sinecatechins ointment. This is made from green tea extract. You apply sinecatechins 15% ointment to warts three times a day for up to 16 weeks. Avoid all sexual contact while the ointment is on your skin. If the warts are in a moist area or in a spot where skin rubs together, talk to your doctor before using a medicine that goes on your skin. Do not use the above medications if you’re pregnant.

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or bichloroacetic acid (BCA). Your doctor will apply a small amount of one of these acids to the warts once a week and let it dry. This works best on small, moist warts and can be used to treat vaginal, cervical, and anal warts.

What Are Treatment Options for Internal Warts?

Internal genital warts have extended into the anus or rectum, the vagina, or the mouth, says Kovarik. “These warts are not on the outside skin but are present on the wet mucosal surface.”

If you have vaginal or cervical warts, the recommended treatments are:

• Cryotherapy or liquid nitrogen
• Surgical removal
• Acid solution

If you have warts in your urethra (the tube that carries urine from the kidneys to your bladder), your best treatment options are cryotherapy or surgical removal.

Genital Warts Home Remedies

“Home remedies are not recommended treatments for genital warts,” says Kovarik. Studies have shown some remedies have similar effects as medical treatments. But it’s most helpful to see a board-certified dermatologist to understand your HPV infection, how it should be treated, and how to get rid of the warts in the best way possible. 

Garlic

A study tested men who had warts on both sides of their genital areas. The men received cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen for the warts on one side and a formula with 10% garlic extract on the other. After two months, both treatments completely cleared the genital warts in most of the men.

Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil isn’t recommended to treat genital warts. Some research has found it might be helpful in treating HPV warts of other types, such as common warts that happen in children. More research is needed, studies say.

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is sometimes suggested to treat plantar warts, which happen on the soles of your feet. It’s not a healthy treatment for genital warts, though. “Apple cider vinegar can cause severe skin irritation as well as chemical burns and ulceration,” says Kovarik.

Green tea extract

Sinecatechins 15% ointment, which is made from green tea extract, is a recommended treatment for external genital warts caused by HPV.

Witch hazel

One study researched the antiviral properties of tannin-rich Hamamelis virginiana L., or witch hazel, to see if it could make an effective genital warts treatment. The study showed some promise in a laboratory setting, but testing hasn’t been done on people.

Diet and nutrition

A study on diet and men who had genital warts found vitamin B12 — out of many vitamins evaluated — may help ward off HPV infections. The study concluded that more research is needed.

How Do I Choose the Right Genital Warts Treatment?

A board-certified dermatologist will consider all the factors of your warts, including if you are getting new ones, have immune system challenges, or have had other treatments.

“Then the dermatologist can decide on a single or combination of treatments, which may include destructive methods, such as freezing (cryotherapy), and/or immunomodulatory medications, such as imiquimod,” Kovarik says.

Can I Prevent Genital Warts?

Yes. The 9-valent vaccine (Gardasil 9) does offer protection against HPV types 6 and 11, which are responsible for the vast majority of genital warts. Vaccination is a key preventive measure and is recommended by the CDC for people starting as early as age 9, up to age 26. The vaccine works best when it is given before any exposure to HPV.

“Getting children vaccinated before they are sexually active is very helpful in preventing HPV infection” and genital warts, says Kovarik.

The vaccine is also approved for people up to age 45. But if you are older than 27, talk to your doctor to decide if you should get vaccinated. Besides getting the HPV vaccine, there are other ways you can prevent genital warts. They include: 

• Use a condom when you have sex
• Get routine STD testing
• Limit your sexual partners

What If I Don’t Get Treated?

Genital warts may go away on their own, stay the same, grow, or spread. If you aren’t treated, you could also get more or larger genital warts. “In patients with a healthy immune system, it is possible for the warts to go away, but it can take months or sometimes years,” says Kovarik. 

They can also be transmitted to others, she notes. “Genital warts are always contagious. The HPV virus is shed from the skin, and if the warts are visibly present, the virus is also present.”

Are the Treatments for Genital Warts Safe?

Most treatments for genital warts are safe but have some side effects. Pain or skin irritation indicated is usually not severe.

Imiquimod. Your skin might change color where you apply the treatment. Other side effects include fatigue, body aches, blisters, or pain. 

Podophyllin (Podocon-25) and podofilox (Condylox). You might have sores, pain, or skin irritation. Never take these treatments by mouth. Don’t use it if you’re pregnant. 

Trichloroacetic acid. You might have sores, pain, or skin irritation.

Sinecatechins. You might see a change in your skin color or have burning, itching, or pain.

Surgery. Cryotherapy and electrocautery both can cause some pain and swelling. Common side effects are pain and swelling. Excision can cause pain. Laser surgery can cause pain and scarring.

Takeaways

Genital warts, aka genital HPV, are a common STD. They’re treatable using many ways, from topical remedies to surgery. 

There are many home remedies as well. The best choice is to see a board-certified dermatologist, who will know the best course of treatment for you, inform you of possible side effects, and more.

One of the best ways to prevent getting the majority of genital warts is the 9-valent vaccine (Gardasil 9). The CDC recommends it for people starting as early as age 9, up to age 26. For those after 27, talk to your doctor about whether you should get it. 

Genital Warts Treatment FAQs

Do genital warts ever go away? 

It’s possible warts will go away naturally, especially if you have a healthy immune system. But if you take the wait-and-see approach, the warts can spread or grow. It’s best to have them removed before that can happen.

What kills warts the fastest? 

The quickest way to get rid of genital warts is surgery to cut them off or freezing (cryotherapy).

Can warts be removed permanently? 

There’s no cure for HPV — only treatments. HPV will continue to live in your body even if you have your warts removed. The HPV vaccine protects against some types of HPV.

Does touching warts spread them? 

Yes. If you touch a wart and then touch another body part, it can spread. You don’t spread warts by using the same toilet seat or drinking from the same cup, though.

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