Making Sense of Cervical Cancer
What screening tests are done for cervical cancer?
There are two main kinds of screening:
• The Pap test
• The HPV test
• The Pap test
• The HPV test
What is the Pap test?
Pap tests are often done during the pelvic exam portion of a well women visit. During a Pap test, your health careprovider will collect a sample of cervical cells for analysis by a lab.
• About 90% of Pap test results are normal.• The Pap test is used to look for abnormal cervical cells.
• If the test result is abnormal, you may need more tests.
• These tests can find changes in cervical cells before cancer develops.
• Cervical cancer can be cured if it’s found at an early stage.
• In most cases an abnormal Pap result does not mean that a women has cancer.
What is the HPV test?
The HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) test is a very accurate way to tell if high-risk HPV is present in a woman’s cervix.
This test uses the same sample of cells taken for the Pap test or a separate sample taken right after the Pap.
When should women be screened for cervical cancer?
Experts recommend that a woman’s first Pap test be done by age 21 or three years after she becomes sexually active.
• Women under age 30 should speak to their health care provider about how often to have a Pap test.
• Women over 30 can have an HPV test along with the Pap test.
• Women who have a normal Pap test result and a negative HPV test result should have both tests repeated in three years.
• Women who have a normal Pap test result and a negative HPV test result should have both tests repeated in three years.
