There is no way to eliminate an HPV infection that causes genital warts. Over time, the warts usually go away by themselves. However, the HPV virus may remain dormant in the body for long periods and if the virus becomes reactivated, the warts could return.

Even though the HPV virus may persist in the body, there are treatments that can remove genital warts. These include:

• Cryotherapy, or freezing the warts with liquid nitrogen.
• Laser removal, usually only used with warts that are otherwise tough to treat.
• Electrocautery, which uses electrical current to burn warts off.
• Surgical removal, in which the warts are cut off.
• Imiquimod (Aldara), a prescription cream that can be applied to the skin to boost the immune system.
• Podofilox (Condylox), a topical cream that may destroy the genital wart tissue.
• Trichloroacetic acid, a chemical that can burn the warts off.