OBJECTIVES::  Genital warts (GW) are mucosal or skin lesions caused by Human papilloma virus. The study objective was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of GW and usual practices of GW referral patterns in Argentina.

METHODS::  A sample of 100 public and private sector physicians are being recruited (primary care, gynecology, urology, dermatology, infectious diseases and proctology). Physicians are completing a daily log of all patients 18-60 years of age seen over 10 working days in their offices and a survey with data on patient and physician demographics, GW diagnosis, referral patterns. RESULTS:: Preliminary analysis based on an interim study report of 45 physicians is presented. Most of the physicians recruited are gynecologists (51.1%), urologists (17.8%) and dermatologists (17.8%). 53.3% are male and 80% work in the private sector. 6,920 patients were seen by these 45 physicians during the study period (154 patient visits average). Average patient age was  CONCLUSIONS:: In our study, a high prevalence and incidence of GW cases were commonly seen by physicians in Argentina and demonstrate a significant morbidity to the population. While we recruited physicians from multiple locations in Argentina, our findings should be interpreted within the population of health seeking individuals among physicians who treat genital warts. While this study is a crucial step forward, more studies are recommended to assess the burden in the general Argentinian population.