How do I check myself for cervical cancer? How do you check for cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer screening is an important part of routine health care for people who have a cervix. Screening can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early when it is easier to treat.

There are different ways to screen for cervical cancer, depending on your age and health history. The most common screening tests are:

• The human papillomavirus (HPV) test, which checks for infection with high-risk HPV types that can cause cervical cancer.
• The Pap test (also called a Pap smear or cervical cytology), which collects cervical cells and checks them for changes caused by HPV that may turn into cervical cancer if left untreated.
• The HPV/Pap cotest, which uses both the HPV test and the Pap test together.

The screening recommendations vary by age group:

• If you are 21 to 29 years old, you should get your first Pap test at age 21, followed by Pap testing every 3 years.
• If you are 30 to 65 years old, you should get screened using one of the following methods:
  – HPV test every 5 years
  – HPV/Pap cotest every 5 years
  – Pap test every 3 years
  – If you are older than 65 years old, you may not need to be screened anymore if you have been screened regularly and had normal test results. Talk to your healthcare provider to learn more.

To prepare for your screening test, you should avoid having sex, douching, or using tampons or vaginal creams for at least 48 hours before the test. During the test, your healthcare provider will use a speculum to look inside your vagina and collect a few cells from your cervix. The cells will be sent to a laboratory for analysis.

If your test results are normal or negative, it means that no signs of infection or abnormal cells were found. You should follow the recommended schedule for your next screening test.

If your test results are abnormal or positive, it means that signs of infection or abnormal cells were found. It does not mean that you have cervical cancer, but it may indicate a precancerous condition that needs further evaluation or treatment. Your healthcare provider will explain what your results mean and what steps you should take next.