BACKGROUND Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the genitalia can produce both visible and subclinical lesions. Because different genotypes are preferentially associated with benign or malignant lesions, HPV detection and typing is clinically important. OBJECTIVE Our purpose was to assess a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based, noninvasive procedure for HPV diagnosis and evaluate the reliability of the acetic acid test for revealing subclinical HPV lesions. METHODS Mucosal samples were collected by gentle scraping, and PCR-positive samples were typed by hybridization with specific DNA probes. RESULTS Seventy-eight men were assessed. The PCR procedure was reliable and easy to perform. No significant difference was found in the prevalence of HPV infection between patients whose results were acetowhite-positive and those whose results were acetowhite-negative. CONCLUSIONS Detection of acetowhite epithelium, although useful for clinical examination, is not sufficiently specific and should not be used as a sole criterion for the diagnosis of HPV infection.