Introduction - The availability of two new vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) offers significant hope for women’s health, particularly for women who have never been infected with HPV, who constitute the target population for vaccination. Method - A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the first quarter of 2009 among 508 tenth-grade students from 18 public high schools in the Alpes-Maritimes region. The objectives of this survey were to assess, via a self-administered questionnaire, young people’s knowledge of HPV and to study vaccination coverage for this type of virus based on health record data. Knowledge scores regarding HPV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), as well as three levels of risky behaviors, were defined. Results - In total, 63.0% of students had heard of HPV, 53.0% scored well on HPV knowledge, and 32.0% had good knowledge of STIs. Students did not define papillomaviruses as an STI, but correctly linked HPV to cervical cancer. The protective role of HPV vaccination against cervical cancer was known, unlike the necessity of screening via Pap smear. HPV vaccination coverage rates among students, estimated from health records, were 25.1% among girls (at least one vaccine dose). Discussion - Information on human papillomavirus deserves to be expanded upon and integrated into prevention messages on the same level as STIs, and education must emphasize that vaccination does not replace Pap smears. (R.A.)