Screening can help find changes in cervical cells so you can receive the proper follow-up care and treatment you need to stay healthy. The Pap test also called a Pap smear or cervical cytology collects cervical cells and looks at them for changes caused by HPV that may—if left untreated—turn into cervical cancer.
It can also detect cervical cancer cells. A Pap test also sometimes finds conditions that are not cancer, such as infection or inflammation. The cervix is part of the female reproductive system. It's the lower, narrow end of the uterus, which leads to the vagina, as shown in the image above. The cervix opens during childbirth to allow the baby to pass.
Both types of cervical cancer screening tests are usually done during a pelvic exam , which takes only a few minutes. During this exam, you lie on your back on an exam table, bend your knees, and put your feet into supports at the end of the table. The health care provider uses a speculum to gently open your vagina in order to see the cervix. A soft, narrow brush or tiny spatula is used to collect a small sample of cells from your cervix.
The sample of cervical cells is sent to a lab, where the cells can be checked to see if they are infected with the types of HPV that cause cancer HPV test. Your health care provider may also check the size, shape, and position of the uterus and ovaries and feel for any lumps or cysts.
The rectum may also be checked for lumps or abnormal areas. Most health care providers will tell you what to expect at each step of the exam, so you will be at ease. You may also ask to be tested for sexually transmitted infection s STIs , also called sexually transmitted disease s STDs.
Doctors' offices, clinics, and community health centers offer HPV and Pap tests. If you don't have a primary care provider or doctor you see regularly, you can find a clinic near you that offers cervical cancer screening by contacting:. Even if a woman is already sexually active, Pap tests are not recommended until the age of Age 30—65 years: USPSTF recommends that women in this age group be screened for cervical cancer using one of these methods:.
ACS has recently published updated cervical cancer screening guidelines that recommend women start screening at age 25 with an HPV test and have HPV testing every 5 years through age Older than 65 years: Women in this age group should talk with their health care provider to learn if screening is still needed.
If you have been screened regularly and had normal test results, your health care provider will probably advise you that you no longer need screening. However, if your recent test results were abnormal or you have not been screened regularly, you need to continue screening beyond age However, if your hysterectomy was related to cervical cancer or precancer, talk with your health care provider to learn what follow-up care you need.
An HPV test will come back as a positive test result or a negative test result :. HPV test results usually come back from the lab in about 1—3 weeks. If you don't hear from your health care provider, call and ask for your test results. Make sure you understand any follow-up visits or tests you may need. What does it mean if a woman has a positive HPV test after years of negative tests?
If you have a new sexual partner, this is most likely a new infection. Sometimes an HPV infection can become active again after many years. Some other viruses behave this way as well; for example, the virus that causes chickenpox can reactivate later in life to cause shingles.
There is no way to tell whether a newly positive HPV test result is a sign of a new infection or a reactivation of an old infection. Pap test results show if cervical cells are normal or abnormal. A Pap test may also come back as unsatisfactory.
Pap test results usually come back from the lab in about weeks. Make sure you receive your test results and understand any follow-up visits or treatments that you need. Keep in mind that most women with abnormal cervical screening test results do not have cancer. However, updated ASCCP risk-based management consensus guidelines advise a more tailored approach to follow-up care. What these updated guidelines mean is that, in addition to your current Pap, HPV, or cotest screening result, your health care provider will consider additional factors when recommending follow-up care, including:.
Based on your individual risk of developing severe cervical cell changes that could become cervical cancer, you may be advised to:. These updated guidelines focus on detecting and treating severe cervical cell changes that could develop into cervical cancer while also decreasing testing and treatment for less severe conditions low-grade cervical cell changes.
Colposcopy and biopsy are two procedures that allow a closer look at the cells of your cervix. During a colposcopy your health care provider inserts a speculum to gently open the vagina and view the cervix. A vinegar solution will be applied to the cervix to help show abnormal areas. Your health care provider then places an instrument called a colposcope close to the vagina. In fact, HPV often has with no symptoms at all and goes away on its own.
Nearly all sexually active people…. Most sexually active people will have some strain at some point in their lives. Here's why HPV testing is important and what…. If you or your partner is diagnosed with HPV, you may have some questions. What is it? How do I talk to my partner about it? Anthropophobia is a fear of people. Typically, a fear of people is associated with….
Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Jill Seladi-Schulman, Ph. Common types of HPV. Tips for prevention. The outlook. Read this next. A person can be infected with more than one HPV strain at a time. Strains are identified by number and fall into either of the following two categories. These strains have no association with cancer but can lead to genital warts. In addition to the vulva and the penis, warts may appear on the cervix or vagina in women, the scrotum in men, or in and around the anus in men or women.
Warts may also appear in the mouth and throat. Two strains of HPV, types 6 and 11, cause 90 percent of these warts.
Only about 1 percent of sexually active Americans have noticeable genital warts, which require treatment to prevent the spread to other genital areas and to sexual partners. Cancer often takes years, even decades, to develop after a person gets HPV.
There is no way to know which people who have HPV will develop cancer or other health problems. They may also be more likely to develop health problems from HPV. Get vaccinated. The HPV vaccine is safe and effective. It can protect against diseases including cancers caused by HPV when given in the recommended age groups. Get screened for cervical cancer. Routine screening for women aged 21 to 65 years old can prevent cervical cancer.
HPV vaccination is recommended at age 11 or 12 years or can start at age 9 years and for everyone through age 26 years, if not vaccinated already. Vaccination is not recommended for everyone older than age 26 years.
However, some adults age 27 through 45 years who are not already vaccinated may decide to get the HPV vaccine after speaking with their healthcare provider about their risk for new HPV infections and the possible benefits of vaccination. HPV vaccination in this age range provides less benefit. Most sexually active adults have already been exposed to HPV, although not necessarily all of the HPV types targeted by vaccination.
At any age, having a new sex partner is a risk factor for getting a new HPV infection. People who are already in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship are not likely to get a new HPV infection.
There are HPV tests that can be used to screen for cervical cancer.
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