The Basics
The best thing you can do to prevent cervical cancer is to get regular Pap tests. A Pap test (sometimes called a Pap smear) is a screening test for cervical cancer. It's done in a doctor's office or clinic.
You need a Pap test if you are:
- Age 21 or older
- Under 21 and have been sexually active for 3 years or more
Most deaths from cervical cancer could be avoided if women had regular Pap tests. A Pap test can find unusual cells before they turn into cancer. Pap tests can also find cervical cancer early, when it can be cured.
Doctors recommend that women ages 21 to 64 have a Pap test every 1 to 3 years.
What happens during a Pap test?
A Pap test lasts about 2 to 5 minutes. It may feel uncomfortable, but a Pap test doesn't hurt.
While you lie on the exam table, the doctor or nurse puts a medical tool (called a speculum) into your vagina, opening it to see the cervix. She will use a special brush to collect a few cells from the cervix. These cells are sent to the lab for testing.
The doctor or nurse will also do a pelvic exam to check the uterus, ovaries, and other organs.
The cervix connects the uterus (or womb) to the vagina.
What is cervical cancer?
The cervix connects the uterus (or womb) to the vagina. Abnormal cells in the cervix can turn into cancer. Treatment can prevent most cases of cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is most common in women over 40. Learn more about cervical cancer screening:
Take Action!
The best thing you can do to prevent cervical cancer is to get regular Pap tests.
Schedule your Pap test.
Call your doctor's office or local health clinic to schedule your Pap test and pelvic exam. Free and low–cost Pap tests are available – find a location near you.
Prepare for your Pap test.
Try to schedule your Pap test for a time when you don't have your period. For 2 days before your test, doctors recommend that you avoid:
- Using tampons
- Having sex
- Using birth control creams, foams, or jellies
- Douching (rinsing the vagina with water or other liquid)
After the test, learn how to make sense of your Pap and HPV test results.
Lower your risk of cervical cancer.
A major cause of cervical cancer is HPV (human papilloma virus). HPV is one of the most common STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).
Some types of HPV can cause genital warts. Other “high-risk” types of HPV can cause cervical cancer.
You are at higher risk of getting HPV if you:
- Start having sex before age 18
- Have unprotected sex
- Have many different sex partners
- Have sex partners who have other sex partners
Check out these Web sites for more information on HPV:
Get the HPV vaccine.
Doctors recommend that women age 26 and younger get the HPV vaccine. The shot protects against the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Learn more about the HPV vaccine.