Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines for Women Aged 30-65

Recommended Screening Approaches

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends co-testing with both Pap test and HPV test every 5 years as an effective screening strategy for cervical cancer, offering comparable benefits to cytology alone every 3 years 1, 2
For women aged 30-65 years, cytology (Pap test) alone every 3 years is a recommended screening option 1, 3
The American College of Physicians recommends HPV testing alone every 5 years as a screening option for women aged 30-65 years 1

Co-testing provides higher sensitivity than Pap testing alone, allowing for the extended 5-year screening interval 4

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that women who have received a diagnosis of high-grade precancerous cervical lesion or cervical cancer should not follow the general screening guidelines 1, 3
Women with in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol, or who are immunocompromised, should not follow the general screening guidelines 1, 7
Women older than 65 years should discontinue screening if they have had adequate prior screening and are not otherwise at high risk 1, 3
Women who have had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix and do not have a history of high-grade precancerous lesions or cervical cancer should not undergo screening 1, 8