How Often Should I Get a Pap Smear Now That I Am Menopausal? You can get a Pap test every three years if both of these are true for you: Your last three pap cytology tests have been normal or you ...

The bottom line: A Pap smear only looks for cervical cell changes that can help detect cervical cancer. If you also want to be screened for STIs or have a pelvic exam (where your doctor feels your ...

M aybe you had a bad experience with your last Pap smear and you’re wary of going back to the ob-gyn. Or maybe you’ve never had one before and are scared to make the appointment. It’s ...

Bleeding or spotting after a Pap smear isn’t unusual, even for people without infections, cancer, or other conditions. The delicate tissues of your cervix can bleed after a brush or swab ...

6 common myths about Pap smears that could put you at risk for cervical cancer By McKenzie Beard Published Feb. 28, 2025, 10:16 a.m. ET ...

Normal: The Pap smear showed normal cells, so no further action is required until the next routine exam. Abnormal: The cells show abnormalities or growth, which does not necessarily mean a person ...

Rising cancer rates among people under 50 Alternatives to the often dreaded pap smear may be on the horizon for cervical cancer screenings. Typically, the procedure involves inserting a device ...

Getting a Pap when you’re not on your period “allows us to get all the cervical cells we need. For some people, their flow can be so heavy that it sometimes means we’re getting cells from ...

Original Medicare (parts A and B) and Medicare Advantage (part C) plans both fully cover regular PAP smears once every 24 months for most people as part of preventive health services.

Despite the Pap smear’s effectiveness, the drop in cervical cancer deaths has leveled off since 2008. In the United States, about 11,500 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and ...

Current screening guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend women ages 30 to 65 have a Pap smear every three years, or every five years if an HPV test is done at the same ...

HPV testing is now seen as equally effective as Pap tests for cervical cancer screening. An influential federal advisory group has changed guidelines for how women over 30 should get tested.