A pap smear is a test performed during a woman's annual gynecological exam to screen for cervical cancer. As a woman gets older and has had years of normal pap smears, she may wish to skip the screening. Whether she should depends on many factors besides her age.
When to stop
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force says the risk of contracting the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer, tapers off in middle age. The group recommends against routine screening in woman after age 65 if she has had normal pap smears. The American Cancer Society recommends stopping at age 70. Women who have had a total hysterectomy for a benign disease also no longer need the test.
Every three years
Starting at age 30, a woman can start having the tests every three years instead of annually if she has had three consecutive normal pap smears, has tested negative for HPV and is in a long-term monogamous relationship.
Who needs the test
Women under age 30 and women of any age who is dating are at risk for cervical cancer and should continue annual pap smears. Women who have tested positive for HPV or another sexually-transmitted disease and who have compromised immune systems should continue the tests as well.
Tags: cervical cancer, normal smears, should continue, three years, Women have
