The human papillomaviruses are the most common sexually transmitted infections in the U.S., and the majority of these infections are cleared by the body's natural immune system without causing any harm. The high-risk human papillomavirus types, however, cause approximately 5 percent of all cancers worldwide. A prophylactic vaccine was recently introduced, but there is still no commercially available treatment that targets active infections. This case study discusses a 48-year-old female who was diagnosed as human papillomavirus positive (+) following a routine gynecological examination. Upon discussion with a compounding pharmacist, the obstetrician/gynecologist prescribed Green Tea Extract 15% Vaginal Cream and Curcumin 250 mg Vaginal Suppositories, to be applied on alternate days for a period of 3 months. After only 1 month of treatment, the gynecologic cytology report tested negative for human papillomavirus. The patient was very satisfied with the compounded medications prescribed (treatment satisfaction questionnaire) and the human papillomavirus (+) diagnosis was reported to have only little/moderate impact on the patient's sexual life (Human Papillomavirus Impact Profile questionnaire). The successful results obtained in this case study confirm the beneficial properties of green tea extract and curcumin against the viruses, and highlight the key role of pharmaceutical compounding in current therapeutics.
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