Women in the United States should start cervical cancer screening at age 21 and most do not need an annual Pap smear, according to new guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) that aim to reduce the risk of unnecessary treatment.
The guidelines now say women younger than 30 should undergo cervical cancer screening once every two years instead of an annual exam. And those age 30 and older can be screened once every three years.
The recommendations are based on scientific evidence that suggests more frequent testing leads to overtreatment, which can harm a young woman's chances of carrying a child full term.
"Overtreatment of minor abnormal pap tests in young women and adolescents can lead to consequences such as preterm labor in some cases. It increases the risk," said Dr. Thomas Herzog of Columbia University in New York, who is chairman of an ACOG subcommittee on gynecologic cancers.