How skin-clearing medications affect genital wart risk in psoriasis patients

Researchers want to understand whether biologic therapies—medications like anti-TNF agents, anti-IL-17 therapies, and anti-IL-23 therapies (including ustekinumab)—used to treat psoriasis might affect a person's risk of developing or having genital warts come back. These medications work by calming down the immune system to reduce psoriasis, but that same immune-calming effect might make it harder for your body to fight off the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes genital warts.

Doctors know that the immune system plays an important role in preventing and clearing genital warts. Because these biologic medications change how certain parts of the immune system work, researchers want to know whether taking them increases the chance of wart development or recurrence—and whether offering HPV vaccination to patients on these medications might help.