 BACKROUND FOR THIS STUDY Anal cancer is a growing problem in the US. The incidence of anal cancer has increased among both men 160 and women 78 from 1973 to 2000 in the US 1. In HIV-infected men the incidence of SCCA squamous cell cancer of the anus was found to range from 49-92 per 100,000 patient years 2. This prompted recommendations on screening for anal cancer in this population. HIV-infected women are also at increased risk for developing anal cancer. A study based on data from AIDS and cancer registries found that the risk of anal cancer among women in the general population is about 1.2 and it increases up to 3.9 in the HIV-infected women. In addition, HIV-infected women had eight times the risk of in situ anal cancer compared with the number of expected cases 3. 