Fig. (1).

Two different consequences proposed for infection of basal cells or cervical stem cells with High Risk-Human Papillomavirus (HRHPV). One area where cervical stem cells are likely to be found comprises the squamocolumnar junction, where the ecto- and the endocervix meet and where reserve cells are frequently found. We propose that HR-HPV infect in the cervix both basal and stem cells, in the former leading to a productive infection within weeks and in the latter, probably generating cancer years later.