How often should women aged 30-65 be screened for cervical cancer?

How often should women aged 30-65 be screened for cervical cancer?

• A. Pap smear every year
• B. Pap smear every 2 years
• C. HPV test annually
• D. Pap smear & HPV test every 5 years or pap smear every 3 years

Answer: (D)

For women aged 30–65, cervical cancer screening intervals are longer when the testing strategy is more sensitive. The recommended approach is either Pap smear (cytology) every 3 years, or co-testing with both Pap smear and HPV testing every 5 years. The key idea is that a negative result on both tests provides very strong reassurance, so the risk of developing cervical precancer in the next several years is low, allowing longer intervals between screenings. The other options are not aligned with these guidelines: screening Pap alone every year or every 2 years is more frequent than necessary and increases potential harms without added benefit. HPV testing done annually by itself isn’t the standard screening approach for this age group, since HPV testing is most informative when used with cytology (co-testing) or as part of a longer-interval plan.

For women aged 30–65, cervical cancer screening intervals are longer when the testing strategy is more sensitive. The recommended approach is either Pap smear (cytology) every 3 years, or co-testing with both Pap smear and HPV testing every 5 years. The key idea is that a negative result on both tests provides very strong reassurance, so the risk of developing cervical precancer in the next several years is low, allowing longer intervals between screenings.

The other options are not aligned with these guidelines: screening Pap alone every year or every 2 years is more frequent than necessary and increases potential harms without added benefit. HPV testing done annually by itself isn’t the standard screening approach for this age group, since HPV testing is most informative when used with cytology (co-testing) or as part of a longer-interval plan.