The presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 11, 16 and 18 in 77 biopsies of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (dysplasia) and carcinoma of the uterine cervix of a sample of women from Western Australia was examined using "Southern" blot hybridisation. HPV-DNA was found in 17 of the 23 dysplasias and 43 of the 54 invasive carcinomas examined but not in the 5 biopsies obtained from areas assessed as normal by colposcopy and histology. Five of 11 biopsies of mild to moderate dysplasias contained HPV type 11 (HPV-11), 2 HPV-16 and 1 HPV-18. Of 12 severe dysplasias/carcinoma in situ, 2 contained HPV-11, 4 HPV-16 and 2 HPV-18. One biopsy contained both HPV-11 and HPV-16. Of 45 squamous cell carcinomas examined for HPV-DNA, 24 contained HPV-16, 5 HPV-11 and 1 HPV-18. Both HPV-11 and HPV-16 were found in 6 of the squamous cell carcinomas and 2 contained both HPV-16 and HPV-18. Of 6 adenosquamous carcinomas examined, 3 contained HPV-DNA, 2 with HPV-16 and 1 with HPV-11. HPV types 16 or 18 were also found in 2 of 3 adenocarcinomas. This study shows a strong association between the papillomavirus and uterine cervical cancer in a sample of women from Western Australia. HPV-16 was more frequently associated with severe dysplasia and cancer than with mild or moderate dysplasia supporting the view that this HPV genotype may have a greater oncogenic potential than HPV-11.