If you suspect you have External Genital Warts (EGW), ask your healthcare provider about treatment options.  Some treatments need to be administered in an office setting.  However, your healthcare provider may suggest a self-applied cream like Aldara (imiquimod) Cream, 5%.  Aldara Cream is absorbed into the skin, activating the body’s immune system to provide clearance from within.Aldara Cream is a skin-use only (topical) medicine used to treat external genital and perianal warts in people aged 12 years old or older.

When using Aldara Cream, the most common side effects involve skin reactions in the application area. These include redness, swelling, a sore, blisters, or ulcers, skin that becomes hard or thickened, skin peeling, scabbing and crusting, itching, burning, and changes in skin color that do not always go away.

The effect of Aldara Cream on the transmission of external genital warts is unknown. Aldara Cream may weaken condoms and diaphragms. Sexual contact should be avoided while the cream is on the skin. New external genital warts may develop during treatment.