The "Human Papilloma Virus" (HPV) is the cause of carcinoma of the cervix. With 275000 deaths per year worldwide, this virus is the direct cause of the most common carcinoma in women. If these figures demonstrate that it is a true scourge, then the fact is that routine screening for the precancerous lesion linked to HPV infection has managed to significantly lower the mortality rate in countries where this has been introduced. The frequency of the anal carcinoma has grown in recent years, particularly in HIV+ patients participating in anal sex. Systematic screening and early vaccination should be able to stem this worrying development in the same way that screening for carcinoma of the cervix has in women.