Updated Guidelines for Cervical Cancer Screening

Cervical screening for human papillomavirus (HPV) has contributed substantially to the reduction in incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. Screening recommendations proposed by several societies and private organizations have been published and are periodically revised when new evidence suggests that a change may be needed. Previous established guidelines showed considerable variation prior to release of the most recent, 2012 revisions. There are now joint recommendations that say, for average-risk, asymptomatic women with a cervix, HPV screening should begin at age 21, using cytology every 3 years for women aged 21 to 65. An option of extending the screening interval to every 5 years using HPV co-testing for women aged 30 to 65 is preferred by some professional societies. Screening can be stopped at age 65 if there has been adequate prior screening with normal results. Comparison with international guidelines reveals some differences that are largely related to the infrastructure of health care delivery systems. The optimal application of HPV testing and the ideal testing schedule for vaccinated women are still undergoing development.