Human papillomavirus associated with poor healing of episiotomy repairs. A retrospective case-control investigation was conducted for risk factors in 47 parturients whose episiotomies dehisced in the immediate postpartum period. Data were extracted from the inpatient, outpatient, and pathology records of each of these 47 patients, as well as from the same records for each of the next two patients who delivered with the same type and degree of episiotomy. No difference between subjects and controls was found for age, parity, or medical history. Except for human papillomavirus (HPV), past or present history of sexually transmitted diseases was not a risk factor. However, active lesions, history thereof, or subsequent development of infection with HPV was found in 14 of 47 patients (29.8%) who had episiotomy breakdown, compared with 13 of 94 women (13.8%) who did not experience this complication, a statistically significant difference (P less than .023). Eleven subjects (23.4%) and nine controls (9.6%) gave a history of smoking during pregnancy, also a statistically significant difference (P less than .026). 