This means that early screening would potentially do more harm than good.
2. After the age of 21, pap smears are recommended every 3 years. 3. Between the ages 30 and 65 the screening options are as follows: A. Pap smear every 3 years B. Pap smear with HPV co-testing every 5 years C. HPV testing every 5 years 4. Over the age of 65 no screening is needed provided that there has been no history of cervical changes, three negative pap tests in a row, two negative HPV tests in a row, or two negative co-test results in a row. I want to acknowledge here that many women are alarmed when they see the recommendations for cervical cancer screening as it appears to be so infrequent. Certainly there are some women who will require more screening. Your doctor can help you determine if you are one of them. Otherwise, rest assured that if at any time your Pap test is abnormal or your HPV test is positive, additional or more frequent screening will be recommended. Also, this may include the need for colposcopy, cervical biopsy and or surgery to remove “precancerous” lesions, thereby preventing cancer.
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