Less Frequent Pap Tests Safe for Most Women | WPN World People News

Most women need testing for cervical cancer only every three to five years, rather than annually.

For women aged 30 and older, the Pap test, as it is called, should be done along with a test for human papillomavirus (HPV) every five years.

The yearly Pap test was an arbitrary decision when it was recommended years ago.

This change should reassure women, because it is scientifically based on the results of several studies.

The college recommended women aged 30 to 65 get an HPV test along with the Pap test because we know HPV is the cause of most cervical cancer.

If both tests are normal, no further tests are needed for five years. If the HPV test is positive, more frequent testing is needed. And if both the HPV and Pap test are positive, further testing and treatment will be done.

Routine Pap testing has cut the rate of cervical cancer by more than 50 percent in the United States. Women who develop cervical cancer are mostly those who have never been screened.

For the Pap test, cells scraped from the cervix are examined under a microscope for signs of cancer or precancerous abnormalities.

Cervical cancer is caused by some types of HPV, a common sexually transmitted infection. Most women with healthy immune systems can eliminate HPV infections, but a small number with persistent HPV infection will develop cervical abnormalities that lead to cancer.

According to the new guidelines:

■ Women aged 30 to 65 with normal Pap and HPV tests need screening only every five years. If only a Pap test is available, it is needed every three years.

■ Women aged 21 to 29 should be screened every three years instead of every two years.

■ Women under 21 do not need screening because invasive cervical cancer is rare in this age group.

■ Women 65 and older don't need screening if they have no history of cervical cancer and have had three consecutive normal Pap tests or two consecutive Pap and HPV tests over a 10-year period with the latest test done within the past five years.

■ Women of any age who have had a total hysterectomy, which includes removal of the cervix, and have no history of cervical cancer do not need regular screening.

■ HPV-vaccinated women should follow the same screening guidelines as unvaccinated women.

■ Some women need more frequent screening. They include women who have had cervical cancer, are HIV-positive, have compromised immune systems or were exposed to the drug diethylstilbestrol in the womb.

The new guidelines were designed to strike a balance between protecting women from cervical cancer while avoiding unnecessary tests that could lead to complications.

Women shouldn't interpret the recommendation for less frequent Pap tests to mean they don't need an annual "well woman" visit.

Women should review these recommended changes with their doctor to see how they apply to them. They really need to discuss with their doctor how these guidelines apply specifically to them and their health history.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services