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Patients with genital warts: how are they managed by general practitioners?
C S Estcourt1, S P Higgins, J Hall
1Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, UK.
International Journal of STD & AIDS
|May 1, 1996
Summary
General practitioners often manage genital warts with variable and potentially unsafe podophyllin treatments. Improved screening for sexually transmitted infections and referral to GUM departments are recommended for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Public Health
- General Practice
Background:
- Genital warts are a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) managed in primary care.
- General practitioners (GPs) play a crucial role in the initial management of patients presenting with genital warts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the current management practices of general practitioners for patients with genital warts in North West England.
- To identify variations in treatment, diagnostic screening, and referral patterns.
Main Methods:
- An anonymized postal questionnaire was distributed to 2060 general practitioners in North West England.
- 1260 (61.2%) completed questionnaires were analyzed to gather data on management, treatment, and referral practices.
Main Results:
- 76.69% of GPs managed one or more cases of genital warts per quarter.
- Podophyllin was frequently used for in-house management (83.9%) and patient self-treatment (65.6%), often with unspecified concentrations.
- Only 11.97% of GPs screened for common STIs like Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis.
- Partner notification (90.3%) and condom use advice (81.5%) were common, but only 26.4% referred all patients to Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) departments.
Conclusions:
- Current management of genital warts by GPs often involves non-standardized and potentially hazardous podophyllin treatments.
- Prescribing unlicensed podophyllin for self-treatment and inadequate STI screening pose risks to patients.
- Increased referral to GUM departments and consistent screening for STIs are necessary to improve patient care and prevent complications like pelvic inflammatory disease.