Cervical cancer screening, even as the female population gets to be vaccinated against HPV disease, is still very important.
All current pap tests use a swab of the outer and the inner cervix for cell collection.
The test known as a ‘pap test’ is really a visual inspection of the cells collected from a swab of the cervix.
A test that begins with screening for HPV infection first is another option.
Screening with both a pap and the HPV is known as a co-test. This test finds 95% of all cervical cancers, and is the best test that is offered. Now there are many options for HPV testing. It can be done alone, and only order pap test if the HPV is positive. HPV tests can also test for all 14 high risk types of HPV, or just test for fewer types that are most likely to be a cause of cervical cancer.
It is very important to begin pap smears by age 21. It is also important to have pap smears at regular intervals. And it is important to have testing if you are in high risk groups. You should know that if you are Black or Hispanic women we think you are slightly higher risk than some groups. Remember to undergo routine pap smear screening. These groups are significantly more likely to die from cervical cancer, which is mostly a preventable disease if caught in the pre-cancer stages.
