Basics about Cervical Cancer Screening
The cervix is the organ that connects the uterus to the vagina. Cervical cancer screening finds cells in the cervix that can turn into cancer. If these cells are found early, they can be treated. All women are at risk for cervical cancer but it occurs most often in women over the age of 30.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in their latest updated guidelines recommend women have their first cervical cancer screening at age 21 and be screened every 2 years to age 30. Women who are 30 years and older with three “normal” screening test results may be screened once every 3 years. ACOG guidelines state women with certain risk factors may need to be screened more often.
What You Can Do
Talk with your doctor about when you should start cervical cancer screening, how often you should have screenings and when is the best time to stop. You can lower your risk for cervical cancer by limiting your number of sex partners and by not having unprotected sex.
