Pap smears are a vital screening tool for diagnosing cervical cancer – and it’s vital that all women, youthful and ancient, follow the recommended guidelines for getting this exam – to guard their health. When is the best time to start? A year ago, the guidelines for when a teen should get their first PAP smear were changed by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Here’s what the modern guidelines say.
At What Age Should Teens get a First PAP Smear Test?
The modern American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology guidelines recommends that teens get their first PAP smear at age 21. Previously, the recommendation was for teens to get a first PAP smear three years after fitting sexually active – or no later than age twenty-one.
A PAP Smear Test is a Screening Tool
A PAP smear test screens for cervical cancer, but it can too detect HPV, or human papilloma virus, a virus which increases the risk of developing cervical cancer. Only certain types of HPV increase the risk of cervical cancer – and there’s now a vaccine that protects against seventy-percent of the HPV strains that cause cervical malignancies.
Maximum doctors recommend that teens and women get this vaccine at age eleven or twelve – or before they become sexually active. Teens that aren’t vaccinated against HPV and have any type of sickness that reduces immunity should get a PAP smear test prior to age 21.
How Often Should Youthful Women Get a PAP Smear Test after the First One?
The modern guidelines recommend that women in their twenties be screened every two years, while women in their thirties can wait three years between screenings – but only after they’ve had three negative PAP smear tests in a row.
Why Did the Age for First PAP Smear Alter?
The age for first PAP smear was revised due to the very low incidence of cervical cancer in women under the age of 21. In addition, many teens and younger women find PAP smear screening to be stressful and anxiety-provoking, which too played a role in the guideline changes.
On the other hand, any teen that experiences abdominal pain, bumps or sores in the pelvic region, missed periods, pain with urination, vaginal itching, or bleeding between periods needs to see a doctor, who may recommend a PAP smear test.
The Foot Line?
The guidelines for when a teen should get a PAP smear has changed, but maximum doctors still recommend that a teen have her first gynecology visit at around age fifteen. Generally a pelvic exam isn’t required unless a teen is having symptoms. This is a chance for a teen to feel more comfortable with seeing a gynecologist – without having a pelvic exam or PAP smear test.
References:
Medscape.com website. “No Pap Smears for Women Under 21: Guidelines”
