The US Preventive Services Task Force has endorsed a new option for cervical cancer screening, allowing women as young as 30 to collect their own vaginal samples for HPV testing at a doctor’s office. This change aims to increase screening rates and make it easier for women to get tested.
Previously, women were advised to receive Pap smears every three years beginning at age 21. Now, women aged 30 can opt for self-collection of the sample to be tested for human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer. The recommended screening schedule is to repeat the HPV test every five years until age 65.
The task force also recommends that women continue with Pap tests every three years or a combined Pap smear and HPV test every five years, if available. However, the ideal screening method is an HPV test every five years, which provides the best balance of risks and benefits.
The new guidelines apply to all women who have had their cervix removed as part of a total hysterectomy do not need to be screened, while older women should continue screening past age 65 if they have not been getting screenings on a regular basis or have had abnormal results in the past 10 years.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/10/health/cervical-cancer-screening.html