Our objective was to determine patient attitudes to having genital warts, and their perceptions of their treatment with imiquimod and other therapies. As an adjunct to a clinical trial in which patients with external genital warts were treated with imiquimod 5% cream until their warts cleared or for up to 16 weeks, quantitative questionnaires consisting of multiple choice questions and 5-point rating scales were completed prior to, and at the end, of the study period. Pre-study and post-study questionnaires were completed by 902 and 629 patients, respectively. Patients expressed a definite concern about genital warts. The majority of patients (70%) had been previously treated for genital warts, and expressed dissatisfaction with their previous therapies. Of patients treated with imiquimod in this study, 82% reported that their warts decreased in size; this occurred within the first 4 weeks for 78% of patients. Sixty-one per cent of patients perceived that their warts completely cleared within the 16-week treatment period. Patients rated imiquimod 5% cream as better than other genital wart therapies in terms of overall satisfaction, time to clearance, convenience and lack of associated pain. In conclusion, patients rated imiquimod 5% cream as an effective treatment which clears warts in an acceptable length of time causing minimal pain and is convenient to use.