Treatment

Warts often go away without treatment, particularly in children. However, there's no cure for the virus, so they can reappear in the same place or other places.

Medications

Medications to eliminate warts are typically applied directly to the lesion and usually take many applications before they're successful. Examples include:

• Salicylic acid. Over-the-counter treatments that contain salicylic acid work by removing layers of a wart a little at a time. For use on common warts, salicylic acid can cause skin irritation and isn't for use on your face.
• Imiquimod. This prescription cream might enhance your immune system's ability to fight HPV. Common side effects include redness and swelling at the application site.
• Podofilox. Another topical prescription, podofilox works by destroying genital wart tissue. Podofilox may cause burning and itching where it's applied.
• Trichloroacetic acid. This chemical treatment burns off warts on the palms, soles and genitals. It might cause local irritation.

Surgical and other procedures

If medications don't work, your doctor might suggest removing warts by one of these methods:

• Freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy)
• Burning with an electrical current (electrocautery)
• Surgical removal
• Laser surgery

Treatment for HPV in the cervix

If you have an abnormal HPV or Pap test, your gynecologist will perform a procedure called a colposcopy. Using an instrument that provides a magnified view of the cervix (colposcope), your doctor will look closely at the cervix and take samples (biopsy) of any areas that look abnormal.

Any precancerous lesions need to be removed. Options include freezing (cryosurgery), laser, surgical removal, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and cold knife conization. LEEP uses a thin looped wire charged with an electric current to remove a thin layer of a section of the cervix and cold knife conization is a surgical procedure that removes a cone-shaped piece of the cervix.