Cervical Cancer Screening Rates
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Cervical cancer screening means checking a woman's cervix for cancer before there are signs or symptoms of the disease. The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for precancers, cell changes on the cervix that may become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately.
Source for graph data: National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2009: With Special Feature on Medical Technology [PDF-10.5MB]. Hyattsville, MD. 2010.
Pap Test Percentages by Race and Ethnicity
The graph below shows the percentage of women aged 18 years and older who had a Pap test in the last three years, grouped by race and ethnicity.
Percentage of U.S. Women Aged 18 Years and Older Who Have Had a Pap Test in the Last 3 Years by Race* and Ethnicity†
Race* or Ethnicity | 2000 | 2003 | 2005 | 2008 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White only | 81.3 | 78.7 | 77.7 | 74.9 |
Black only | 85.1 | 84.0 | 81.1 | 80.1 |
American Indian/Alaska Native only | 76.8 | 84.8 | 75.2 | 69.4 |
Asian only | 66.4 | 68.3 | 64.1 | 65.6 |
Hispanic or Latina† | 77.0 | 75.4 | 75.5 | 75.4 |
*Estimates for Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander are considered unreliable and are not shown in this graph.
†The group, or category, called "Hispanic" may include race categories like white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander.
Pap Test Percentages by Education Level
The percentages of cervical cancer screening vary by education level. Women with the most years of schooling are most likely to have had a Pap test in the last three years. The graph below shows the percentage of women aged 25 years and older who had a Pap test in the last three years, grouped by their highest level of education.
Percentage of U.S. Women Aged 25 Years and Older Who Have Had a Pap Test in the Last 3 Years by Education Level
Education Level | 2000 | 2003 | 2005 | 2008 |
---|---|---|---|---|
No high school diploma or GED | 69.9 | 64.9 | 64.1 | 60.6 |
High school diploma or GED | 79.8 | 75.9 | 73.8 | 69.5 |
Some college or more | 88.0 | 86.2 | 84.6 | 82.6 |
Pap Test Percentages by Age
The percentages of cervical cancer screening vary by age. Women aged 18 to 44 years are most likely to have had a Pap test in the last three years, followed by older women. The graph below shows the percentage of women aged 18 years and older who had a Pap test in the last three years, grouped by age.
Percentage of U.S. Women Aged 18 Years and Older Who Have Had a Pap Test in the Last 3 Years by Age
Age Group | 2000 | 2003 | 2005 | 2008 |
---|---|---|---|---|
18 to 44 years | 84.9 | 83.9 | 83.6 | 81.8 |
45 to 64 years | 84.6 | 81.3 | 80.6 | 78.8 |
65 years and older | 64.5 | 60.8 | 54.9 | 50.0 |
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