Physical and Psychological Effects of Anogenital Warts on Female Patients

Symptoms and psychological reactions of 82 patients with anogenital warts were recorded in a descriptive study at the beginning and after treatment. A majority of the patients had substantial and longstanding symptoms like local pain, tenderness, and discharge. Anxieties about cancer and cure were common. With a mood adjective checklist, the patients were compared to 58 referents, matched for background variables. There were significant differences in experiences of pleasantness, activation, and social orientation, which suggest a conspicuous emotional effect of the disease. The clinical picture and pathology of anogenital warts are well known, but the profound impact, hitherto unknown, of the disease on women's physical and psychological well-being should also be taken into account when designing health care and prevention.