Frequency of Cervical Screening (Suggested Guidelines)
Frequency of cervical screening
ll women who are sexually active or who have reached the age of 18 years should have an annual cervical screening test. This recommendation has been supported by the American Cancer Society, The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The National Cancer Institute, and The American Medical Association. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Cancer Society permit the frequency of screening to be extended up to 3 years in a woman who is considered low risk and who has had 3 consecutive satisfactory exams which were within normal limits. This decision is entirely at the discretion of the monitoring physician.
Determination of risk
The risk factors for developing cervical cancer include early age of first sexual intercourse, multiple sexual partners, sexual intercourse with men who have had multiple sexual partners, cigarette smoking, and an immunocompromised state.
Women who are considered to be at high risk for premalignant lesions (high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions) of the cervix include those who have started sexual activity at a young age (14-17 years old), have had multiple sexual partners, have had sexual relations with men who have had multiple sexual partners, have a history of infection with human papilloma virus (HPV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and those who smoke cigarettes. Women with any of these risk factors should have cervical smears performed annually.
