To identify factors associated with persistence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in the uterine cervix, 179 women who were 18–49 years old and who had normal cytologies and positive cervical HPV DNA tests at a routine periodic examination were analyzed. Among them, 91 (50.8%) remained HPV-positive a few months (mean, 11 weeks) later. Persistence was higher in women who had used oral contraceptives for ⩾2 years (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–10.3) compared with those who never used oral contraceptives or used them for <2 years. HPV types 16, 18, and 31/33/35 appeared more persistent (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.0–6.2) than other types. Persistence seemed to increase with virus load and decrease with increasing interval between examinations.