A study was performed on 176 patients with benign cervical lesions. Human papillomavirus (HPV) structural antigens which were stained with the immunoperoxidase staining were sought for in cervical smears and in cervical tissues excised by the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). HPV infection was found in 16.4% of the patients. Furthermore, cytologic screening on Papanicolaou (PAP) smears, colposcopy, and histologic examinations of whole transformation zones excised by the LEEP were performed. The diagnosis of HPV was based on the positive immunoperoxidase staining of either the exfoliated cells or the cervical tissue. HPV was detected on 5.6% of the PAP smears. The reliability of cytologic colposcopic, and histologic diagnosis of HPV was investigated.