Rate and predictors of new genital warts claims and genital warts-related healthcare utilization among privately insured patients in the United States.

BACKGROUND

Little non-clinic-based data are available on incident genital warts rates and related healthcare use.

GOAL: : The goal of this study was to describe the incidence and predictors of genital warts and associated healthcare utilization patterns among a group of privately insured patients in the United States.

STUDY: Health claims were evaluated prospectively from 5,914,107 privately insured individuals.

RESULTS

The rate of new genital warts claims per 100,000 person-years at risk, age-standardized to the 2001 U.S. privately insured population, increased from 117.8 in 1998 to 205.0 in 2001. The highest rates were among 20- to 29-year-olds. The majority of claims came from dermatology and obstetrics/gynecology.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of genital warts, as measured by the rate of new claims, appears to be rising. Age associations with the rate of new genital warts claims differed by gender; these associations may be influenced by changes in health-seeking behavior, potentially driven by health awareness.