Warticon Solution
From £29.99
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Our friendly team is available to help Monday to Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm.
If you need urgent assistance, do not use this service. Call 111, or in an emergency call 999.
Our friendly team is available to help Monday to Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm.
If you need urgent assistance, do not use this service. Call 111, or in an emergency call 999.
If genital warts have been confirmed by a GP or sexual health clinic, you can treat them at home with a prescription solution or cream. Complete a confidential online consultation and a GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber will check which treatment is safe and suitable for you.
Genital warts are small growths on or around the genitals or anus, caused by some types of human papillomavirus (HPV). They’re common, not usually painful, and not dangerous.
Genital warts are passed on by skin-to-skin contact during sex, including when no warts can be seen. They can appear weeks, months or even years after infection, so it’s often impossible to know when or from whom you caught them. The types of HPV that cause warts aren’t the types linked to cancer. Treatment removes visible warts but doesn’t clear the virus. Many people’s immune systems clear HPV over time, and warts can go away without treatment, so waiting is a reasonable choice if they don’t bother you.
You can use this service if you’re 18 or over and a GP or sexual health clinic has confirmed your warts. If you’ve noticed new lumps and haven’t been examined, please see a sexual health clinic first. Several other conditions can look like warts, and a clinic can check for other infections at the same visit.
Both are applied at home to warts on the outside of the genitals or around the anus. They work in different ways, and UK guidance rates them as broadly similar.
| Treatment | Form | How it works | Suitable for | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warticon (podophyllotoxin 0.5%) | Solution, with applicators | Destroys wart tissue directly | Twice a day for 3 days, then 4 days off; repeat weekly for up to 4 weeks | £29.99 |
| Aldara (imiquimod 5%) | Cream, single-use sachets | Helps your immune system clear the warts | 3 nights a week, washed off after 6 to 10 hours, for up to 16 weeks | £65.99 (12 sachets, 4 weeks) |
Not sure which is right for you? The prescriber will advise.
Tell us when and where your warts were diagnosed, where they are, your health and any medicines you take. You may be asked for a photo.
A GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber checks which treatment is safe and suitable, and may message you with questions.
If approved, it’s dispensed by our UK pharmacy and sent in plain packaging.
See a GP or sexual health clinic instead of using this service if any of these apply.
Fact: Many people with HPV have no warts or symptoms, and can pass it on without knowing.
Fact: Many people’s immune systems clear the virus over time. Treatment removes visible warts, and warts can also go away on their own.
Fact: The HPV types that cause genital warts (mostly types 6 and 11) are not the types linked to cancer.
Follow the instructions for your treatment exactly. Applying more, or more often, won’t make it work faster and can cause painful skin reactions. - Keep the area clean and dry, and don’t pick or scratch the warts. - Don’t use wart treatments sold for hands and feet on your genitals. They’re too strong for genital skin. - Mild redness or soreness is common, especially with Aldara. If the skin becomes very sore, broken or swollen, stop and ask for advice.
Avoid sex while you have the treatment on your skin, and give treated skin time to heal. Condoms lower the risk of passing on HPV but don’t cover all the skin. Aldara can weaken latex condoms and diaphragms, so don’t rely on them while the cream is on your skin.
Warticon and Aldara are prescription-only medicines in the UK. Before anything is prescribed, a GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber reviews your consultation, including your medical history and any other medicines you take. We only supply treatment to the person it’s prescribed for, and only after checking it’s safe for them.
Read the leaflet in the pack before you start.
Don’t share your treatment, even with a partner who has warts. Each person needs their own assessment.
Keep it out of the reach of children. Warticon solution is harmful if swallowed and is flammable.
Report side effects: if you think you’ve had one, tell a pharmacist or doctor. You can also report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme (yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk).
Your consultation is confidential. We only contact your GP if you agree, and we never contact your partners. We would only share information without your agreement if we were seriously worried about your safety or someone else’s, as UK law and professional guidance allow. We’d tell you first, unless doing so would put someone at risk.
Access Doctor is a private service. NHS sexual health clinics diagnose and treat genital warts free of charge across the UK, including freezing treatment, and you don’t need a GP referral: - England: find a clinic on the NHS website; - Scotland: NHS inform; - Wales: Sexual Health Wales (Frisky Wales); - Northern Ireland: nidirect.
If you’re under 25, Brook also offers free, confidential sexual health support. If you’re in England and need advice the same day, you can also contact NHS 111.
Sexual health is about more than treatment. If anything about your situation doesn’t feel right, you can talk to someone in confidence, at any age.
That might be the case if: - sex happened when you didn’t want it, or when you were too drunk or high to agree; - a partner controls who you see, checks your phone, takes your money, or pressures you into sex or into not using condoms; - someone gives you money, gifts, drugs or somewhere to stay in return for sex; - someone else is filling in this consultation or ordering treatment for you, and you’d rather they weren’t; - someone has taken over your home, your money or your phone, or makes you work or do things you don’t want to do.
None of this is your fault, and you can still get treated.
If you need help with the consultation If you have a learning disability, find forms difficult, or would like someone with you, that’s fine. You can ask a family member, carer or support worker to help you fill it in, as long as you’re happy for them to, and the answers are about you. If you’d rather speak to someone, contact us and a prescriber will arrange to talk to you. We’ll always check that you understand the treatment and want it yourself.
Free, confidential help You can tell our prescriber in the consultation, and they’ll help you find support near you.
Or contact one of these services directly:
Rape and sexual abuse (England and Wales): 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, 0808 500 2222
Rape and sexual abuse (Scotland): Rape Crisis Scotland, 08088 01 03 02 (6pm to midnight)
Domestic abuse: - England: National Domestic Abuse Helpline, 0808 2000 247 (24 hours) - Scotland: Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline, 0800 027 1234 (24 hours) - Wales: Live Fear Free, 0808 80 10 800 (24 hours) - Northern Ireland: Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline, 0808 802 1414 (24 hours)
Men: Men’s Advice Line, 0808 801 0327
Modern slavery and exploitation: Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline, 08000 121 700 (24 hours)
Under 25s: Brook (brook.org.uk)
Someone to talk to: Samaritans, 116 123 (24 hours)
Worried about an adult who can’t protect themselves: contact the adult safeguarding team at the local council where they live.
If you were assaulted recently, a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) can give you medical care, emergency contraception and HIV prevention medicine. Seeing a SARC doesn’t mean you have to report to the police. If you’re in immediate danger, call 999. If you can’t speak, call 999 from a mobile, listen to the questions, then press 55 when prompted.
Treating warts is one part of looking after your sexual health. Check whether any of these apply to you.
Answers about treatment, HPV, partners and what to expect.
Genital warts are small, usually painless growths on or around the genitals or anus. They’re caused by some types of human papillomavirus (HPV), mostly types 6 and 11, which are passed on through skin-to-skin contact during sex. They’re one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the UK.
Through skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex, genital contact without penetration, or sharing sex toys. HPV can be passed on even when there are no visible warts. Warts can appear weeks, months or years after infection, so it’s often impossible to tell when you caught them. You can’t catch them from towels, cups, cutlery, swimming pools or toilet seats.
Small, fleshy lumps, either single or in clusters, that can be smooth or rough and look a little like a cauliflower. They can appear on the penis, scrotum, vulva, inside the vagina, around or inside the anus, or on the upper thighs. They’re usually painless but can itch or bleed slightly. Lumps that are dark, ulcerated, painful or changing quickly need checking by a clinician.
There’s no single best treatment. Warticon solution and Aldara cream, both applied at home, work about as well as each other overall. Warticon is faster but only suits small areas; Aldara is slower but suits larger or scattered areas. Clinics can also freeze warts or remove them. The prescriber will advise which suits your warts.
No. They can be uncomfortable or upsetting, but they don’t damage your health. The types of HPV that cause warts are not the ones linked to cancer. See a clinician if a lump bleeds, becomes painful or changes in appearance, or if warts make it hard to pee.
Warts come back in many people, because treatment removes visible warts but doesn’t clear the virus. Using condoms, not sharing sex toys and stopping smoking all help. If you’re eligible, the HPV vaccine protects against other HPV types. Most people’s immune systems clear HPV eventually, after which warts stop returning.
Yes, if you’re 18 or over and your warts have been diagnosed by a GP or sexual health clinic. You complete a confidential online consultation, and a GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber checks whether Warticon or Aldara is suitable. New lumps that haven’t been examined, warts inside the body, and pregnancy or breastfeeding need a clinic or GP instead.
Warticon usually works within a few weeks: it’s used in weekly cycles for up to 4 weeks. Aldara is slower: warts often start shrinking after a few weeks, with clearance commonly taking 2 to 4 months, up to a maximum of 16 weeks. If warts haven’t shrunk by about half after 8 weeks of Aldara, a different treatment is usually tried.
Yes, they can. Many people’s immune systems clear HPV over time, and warts can disappear without treatment, although this can take months. If your warts don’t bother you, waiting is a reasonable choice. Treatment can speed things up if they’re uncomfortable or upsetting.
Not exactly. HPV is the virus; genital warts are one thing some types of HPV can cause. Most people with HPV never get warts. The low-risk types that cause warts (mainly 6 and 11) are different from the high-risk types linked to cervical and other cancers.
Yes, it’s possible, because HPV can be on the skin without causing visible warts. The risk is thought to be highest while warts are present. Condoms reduce the risk but don’t cover all the skin.
Yes. The UK uses Gardasil 9, which protects against the HPV types that cause most genital warts, as well as types linked to cancer. It’s offered free to children aged 12 to 13, as a catch-up up to age 25 for those eligible, and to men who have sex with men up to age 45 at sexual health clinics. It doesn’t treat existing warts.
It’s up to you. UK guidance doesn’t require partners to be contacted, because HPV is so common and often passed on long before warts appear. Many people choose to tell a regular partner. A partner with lumps or worries can visit a sexual health clinic. There’s no routine HPV test for men.
Yes, quite often, especially in the first few months, because the virus can stay in the skin after the visible warts have gone. Another course of treatment usually works. If warts keep returning, see a sexual health clinic, which can offer other treatments.
They may go away on their own, stay the same or grow. They don’t turn into cancer. Treating them can make them easier to live with and may lower the chance of passing HPV on while they’re present. See a clinician if they grow quickly, bleed or change in appearance.
Helpful reads related to this treatment area.
Start a short online consultation and our clinical team will review whether treatment is suitable for you.
