Pap test guidelines; what you should know

When was your last Pap test? Do you even remember getting it? Has it been within the last year? Read The frequency of Pap smear screening in the United States: Discussion to see whether you're on schedule or whether you should call your gynecologist.

A Pap test, also known as a Pap smear collects a sample of cells from a woman's cervix (the lower, narrow end of your uterus) to look for changes and abnormalities. 

The National Women's Health Information Center Guidelines for a Pap test include the following:

~ women younger than age 30 should get an annual Pap test

~ women age 30 and older with three consecutive normal annual Pap tests should get a new test every two to three years (upon doctor approval)

~ women aged 65 to 70 with no abnormal Pap tests in the last ten years may no longer need the test (upon doctor approval)

~ an annual Pap test is needed for any woman of any age who has a compromised immune system, is HIV-positive or whose mother was exposed to DES during pregnancy