Patients With Genital Warts Have a Decreased Quality of Life (original) (raw)

2009, Sexually Transmitted Diseases

H uman papilloma virus (hpv) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. It is estimated that 75% of sexually active individuals will have HPV-related infection in their lifetime. 1 Of the numerous HPV subtypes, 15 are considered high-risk and lead to the development of cervical cancer. 2 The subtypes 6 and 11 are considered low-risk and do not cause cervical cancer but do cause condyloma acuminatum or anogenital warts (AGWs). 3 The 2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of US women between the ages of 14 and 59 years of age showed an overall HPV prevalence of 26.8% (95% CI, 23.3%-30.9%). HPV vaccine type 6 was detected in 1.3% (95% CI, 0.8%-2.3%), HPV-11 in 0.1% (95% CI, 0.03%-0.3%), HPV-16 in 1.5% (95% CI, 0.9%-2.6%), and HPV-18 in 0.8% (95% CI, 0.4%-1.5%) of female participants. AGWs appear in the genital area within weeks or months after infection. 4 They are normally flesh-coloured and appear in clusters, resembling a cauliflower and are either raised or flat. 4 These are present in women on the vulva, cervix, vagina, and anus whereas in men, they appear on the penis, scrotum, or anus. 4 In the majority of cases, these lesions resolve untreated. However, in some cases, AGWs can cause both physical discomfort and psychological distress resulting in the need for physician consultation and treatment. Clinic visits and treatment often occur repeatedly and as such, affects the patient's quality of life. Although surveys 5-7 have been conducted to evaluate the impact of AGWs on patients, standardized questionnaires and the impact of this disease on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has not been well characterized in the literature. Therefore, we conducted a study to measure HRQoL decrements associated with genital warts using the Short-Form 6D (SF-6D) and the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D).