Common Questions About
Screening and Vaccination

A woman should have her first pap test within 3 years after first having sex or at age 21, whichever comes first. For women ages 21 to 30, pap tests are recommended annually. Regardless of how often you get a pap test, make sure you get the best possible test — the ThinPrep Pap Test done with the ThinPrep Imaging System.

The best time to schedule your exam is 10 to 14 days following the first day of your last period. Avoid vaginal medication, lubricants, vaginal contraceptives, or douches for 2 days before your exam. Do not have sex for 1 to 2 days before the exam.

While routine pap testing is often part of your annual exam, your annual exam itself consists of several important parts. Your annual exam may include a physical exam, pelvic exam, pap test, HPV testing, and/or chlamydia and gonorrhea testing. Your annual exam is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy.

Some women may need to get a pap test more often than once a year. Your doctor may recommend this if you are between the ages of 21 and 30 and are HIV-positive or otherwise have a compromised immune system, if you were exposed before birth to the synthetic hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES), if you have previously been diagnosed with cervical cancer, or if you tested positive for a high-risk strain of HPV.

Women who have had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix and who have no history of cancerous cell growth may not need routine pap testing. You should discuss this with your doctor.

An HPV test is a test that looks for high-risk HPV infections. Testing positive for an HPV test does not mean that you have cervical cancer. It simply means that you currently have high-risk HPV.

Your doctor may want you to get tested for HPV if your pap test showed the presence of slightly abnormal cells. For women over 30, an HPV test may also be given along with a routine pap test to determine if the virus is present.

A positive HPV test simply means that you currently have human papillomavirus. This does not mean that you have cervical cancer. In fact, the vast majority of women who are exposed to HPV will not experience cellular changes as a result. About 90% of HPV infections will clear on their own.¹

The vaccine is most effective when given prior to the onset of sexual activity. Discuss your specific situation with your doctor to see if the HPV vaccine is right for you.

The HPV vaccine protects against two high-risk strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer; it does not protect against all of the strains associated with cervical cancer. Even if you get the vaccine, you should continue to get routine pap tests, and HPV testing when recommended, to screen for cervical cancer.