The biological importance of a group of human papillomaviruses, known as high-risk human papillomaviruses, as the key causal agent for almost all cervical cancer has now been established. Many aspects of the natural history of high-risk human papillomaviruses as sexually transmitted infections and as oncogenic agents have been researched. Although human papillomavirus diagnosis is largely confined to DNA detection techniques in cervical smears, there is accumulating evidence that the best polymerase chain reaction and hybrid capture techniques are more sensitive and probably of similar specificity compared with cervical cytology as a triage test for women with borderline smear abnormalities and for screening older women. This is strong presumptive evidence that high-risk human papillomavirus testing could be useful in cervical screening. Current research is aimed at establishing a place for high-risk human papillomavirus testing in routine screening practice. Randomised clinical trials, long-term natural history studies, mathematical modelling, and economic and psychosocial studies are being used to demonstrate whether this testing can improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of cervical screening in a range of situations.