In this study, the diagnostic accuracy and practicability of different hybridization techniques for the detection of human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA were tested. Cervical cell scrapes (n = 67) were analysed for HPV-DNAs 6/11 and 16, in order to compare a commercially available in situ DNA hybridization-assay with the conventional Southern-blot analysis. The in situ DNA hybridization-assay gave a sensitivity of 81.5%, a specificity of 97.5% and a diagnostic efficiency of 91.0% for HPV-DNAs 6/11. Using the same assay, we observed a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 96.3% and a diagnostic efficiency of 97.0% for HPV-DNA 16. The practicability of dot-blot DNA hybridization technique was tested on 176 cervical cell scrapes, in order to determine the prevalence rate of HPV-genotypes 6/11, 16/18 and 31/33/35. In the random control group (n = 106), 1.9% of the cases were HPV-DNA positive. In the cancer prevention group (n = 70), patients with reactive and reparative cell changes showed a HPV-DNA positivity of 55.0%, with mild (slight) dysplasia/CIN 1 of 73.7%, and with moderate to severe dysplasia/CIN 2 to CIN 3, including the carcinoma in situ/CIN 3 of 80.0%. Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix uteri gave HPV-DNA positive results in 96.2% of the cases. The suitability of in situ DNA hybridization for morphological studies was tested on tissue biopsies (n = 68). The HPV-DNAs 6/11 were found predominantly to 72.7% of the examined condylomas. The HPV-DNA positive cervices increased with the severity of the cytological dysplasia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)