Who Needs Pap Tests?

Most women ages 21 to 65 should get Pap tests as part of routine health care. Even if you are not currently sexually active, you should still have a Pap test. Women who have gone through menopause and are younger than 65 still need regular Pap tests.

The only women who do not need regular Pap tests are:

• Women ages 65 and older who have had three normal Pap tests in a row, no abnormal test results in the last 10 years, and have been told by their doctor that they no longer need to be tested.
• Women who do not have a cervix (usually because of a hysterectomy) and who do not have a history of cervical cancer or abnormal Pap results.

All women should speak to a doctor before stopping regular Pap tests.