We all need them and pretty much all hate the process to get one and often put them off.  But what is the current recommendations for a Pap Smear test?  It actually appears to vary by country and in the case of Canada by Province.

United Kindgom

Age group (years)
25: First invitation
25 – 49: 3 yearly
50 – 64: 5 yearly
65+: Only screen those who have not been screened since age 50 or have had recent abnormal tests

Reference:  NHS Cervical Screening Website

USA

Current general guidelines recommend that women have a Pap test at least once every 3 years, beginning about 3 years after they begin to have sexual intercourse, but no later than age 21. Experts recommend waiting about 3 years after the start of sexual activity to avoid overtreatment for common, temporary abnormal changes. It is safe to wait 3 years, because cervical cancer usually develops slowly. Cervical cancer is extremely rare in women under age 25.

Women ages 65 to 70 who have had at least three normal Pap tests and no abnormal Pap tests in the last 10 years may decide, after talking with their clinician, to stop having Pap tests. Women who have had a hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus and cervix) do not need to have a Pap test, unless the surgery was done as a treatment for precancer or cancer.

Reference:  National Cancer Institute

Australia

The national policy provides consensus guidelines on which women need screening and how often Pap smears should be taken. It states:

1. Routine screening with Pap smears should be carried out every two years for women who have no symptoms or history suggestive of cervical pathology.
2. All women who have ever been sexually active should start having Pap smears between the ages of 18 and 20 years, or one or two years after first having sexual intercourse, whichever is later.  (This includes female to male and female to female sexual contact)
3. Pap smears may cease at the age of 70 years for women who have had two normal Pap smears within the last five years. Women over 70 years who have never had a Pap smear, or who request a Pap smear, should be screened.

Reference:  National Cervical Screening Program

Canada

 

Reference:   Public Health Agency of Canada

If you have information about other countries then let us know.

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Tags: pap smear, tests

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 11th, 2009 at 1:14 pm and is filed under Health & Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.