Colposcopy was introduced to Canadian medical practice in the late 1960s and its use has only recently become widespread. Until the advent of colposcopy, most women with abnormal Pap smears had a cone biopsy of the cervix with all its attendant problems. The colposcope has completely changed the management of an abnormal Pap smear with respect to diagnosis and has had a remarkable influence on treatment. Cryosurgery and carbon dioxide laser surgery were introduced as out-patient treatments for precursors of cervical cancer because by using colposcopy the physician is able to accurately diagnose cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Colposcopy has also been an important tool in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of human papillomavirus infections in men and women.