Human papilloma viruses (HPV), particularly type 16, have been associated with cervical cancer. It has been noted that the average onset of cervical cancer is occurring in younger women coupled with a higher prevalence of cervical HPV infection. However, the correlation between HPV 16 infection and the early onset of cervical cancer is still unclear. We hypothesize that HPV infection is an indicator of early onset of cervical cancer. To test this hypothesis, cervical smears from 197 women were evaluated by the polymerase chain reaction for HPV 16. These data revealed that the HPV 16-positive women were significantly younger than the HPV 16-negative women. Moreover, the average age of HPV 16-positive women with CIN 3 or invasive cancer was significantly younger compared with the other groups. These data clearly suggest that HPV 16 infection is a significant risk factor for the progression for cervical cancer in a young population of women. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.