Screening Guidelines

If you are a healthy woman without prior cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 (CIN 2) or higher, many professional organizations recommend:

• A Pap test every 3 years for women aged 21-29 years.
• A Pap AND HPV test every 5 years for women aged 30-65 years. It is your option to continue with Pap testing every 3 years if you choose to do so.
• For women aged 65 years and older—Stop having Pap and HPV tests if you had regular results for a consecutive period of time. An example would be 3 normal test results in a row and no abnormal results in the past 10 years.

Pap tests may be recommended more often if you have abnormal results or certain conditions, such as:

• Suppressed immune system from a health condition (such as HIV) or medications
• Exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) in utero—an estrogen-like substance that was given to prevent miscarriages in high-risk pregnancies
• History of cervical dysplasia or cervical cancer

Talk to your doctor about the right screening schedule for you.

Screening Tests

Screening tests to help detect cervical cancer include:

• Pap test—A brush or stick is used to collect samples of cells in and around the cervix. The samples are examined under a microscope to look for abnormal growth or cancer.
• HPV test—The same sample of cells taken for a Pap test can be used to detect HPV infection.
• Pelvic exam—A thorough, manual evaluation of the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. A Pap test, as well as other samples to detect sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be done during a pelvic exam.