This manuscript summarizes the papers presented at the 19th International Papillomavirus Conference, held in Florianopolis, Brazil, September 1-7, 2001, divided in four main areas: Clinical diagnosis and screening, Epidemiology, Biology and Immunology. It provides an overview of what we know about the biology and life cycle of these viruses, their interaction with human and animal hosts, and the diseases that they cause. Highlights derive from the analysis of more than 500 papers presented at the Conference.