Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. We determined the frequency of HPV in the oral cavity of women with and without genital HPV lesions. Material and methods: All patients were seen at the Department of Gynecology, Women's Health Center and the State University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil and submitted to a general physical and gynecological examination plus an evaluation of the oral cavity. Detailed histories investigated their sexual practices. HPV in the oral cavity was determined by polymerase chain reaction using consensus primers in 70 women presenting with histopathology-confirmed clinical HPV lesions in the genital region and 70 women negative by gynecological, colposcopic and cytological examination for clinical or subclinical HPV lesions. Results: Oral HPV was detected in 29 (20.7%) of the subjects. Among the positive women, 26 (89.7%) were also positive for genital HPVas opposed to only 3 (2.7%) who were genital HPV-negative (p < 0.0001). The overall prevalence of HPV in the oral cavity of patients with and without genital HPV was 37.1 and 4.3%, respectively, (p < 0.0001). The presence of oral HPV was unrelated to the practice of fellatio (22% versus 19%). Conclusion: Patients with HPV genital infection have a greater frequency of HPV in their oral mucosa. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.1261104106