Slide preparation or cervical smear to reveal abnormalities under the microscope on Pap test, also called a Pap cervical smear, checks for changes in the cells of your cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Pap test can tell if you have an infection, abnormal cervical cells, or cervical cancer. A Pap test can save your life. It can find the earliest signs of cervical cancer, a common cancer in women. If caught early, the chance of curing cervical cancer is very high. Pap tests also can find infections and abnormal cervical cells that can turn into cancer cells. Treatment can prevent most cases of cervical cancer from developing. It is important for all women to have pap tests, along with pelvic exams, as part of their routine health care. You need a Pap test if you are 21 years or older and under 21 years old and have been sexually active for three years or more There is no age limit for the Pap test. Even women who have gone through menopause need regular Pap tests. It depends on your age and health history. Talk with your doctor about what is best for you. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends the following, if you are younger than 30 years old, you should get a Pap test every year. If you are age 30 or older and have had three normal Pap tests for three years in a row, talk to your doctor about spacing out Pap tests to every two or three years. If you are ages 65 to 70 and have had at least three normal Pap tests and no abnormal Pap tests in the last 10 years, ask your doctor if you can stop having Pap tests. You should have a Pap test every year no matter how old you are if you have a weakened immune system because of organ transplant, chemotherapy or steroid use, your mother was exposed to diethylstilbestrol while pregnant or you are HIV positive. Women who are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are at a higher risk of cervical cancer and other cervical diseases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all HIV positive women get an initial Pap test, and get re-tested 6 months later. If both Pap tests are normal, then these women can get yearly Pap tests in the future.

The only women who do not need regular Pap tests are women over age 65 who have had a number of normal Pap tests and have been told by their doctors that they don’t need to be tested anymore and women who do not have a cervix and are at low risk for cervical cancer. These women should speak to their doctor before stopping regular Pap tests. It depends on the type of hysterectomy or surgery to remove the uterus you had and your health history. Women who have had a hysterectomy should talk with their doctor about whether they need routine Pap tests. Usually during a hysterectomy, the cervix is removed with the uterus. This is called a total hysterectomy. Women who have had a total hysterectomy for reasons other than cancer may not need regular Pap tests. Women who have had a total hysterectomy because of abnormal cells or cancer should be tested yearly for vaginal cancer until they have three normal test results. Women who have had only their uterus removed but still have a cervix need regular Pap tests. Even women who have had hysterectomies should see their doctors yearly for pelvic exams. Aside from getting Pap tests, the best way to avoid cervical cancer is by steering clear of the human papilloma virus. HPV is a major cause of cervical cancer. HPV infection is also one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases or STD. So, a woman boosts her chances of getting cervical cancer if she starts having sex before age 18, as many sex partners as sex partners who have other sex partners, has or has had a sexually transmitted disease.