For Women Over 30, There May Be A Better Choice Than The Pap Smear
A new study adds weight to the evidence that an HPV test can more accurately test for cervical cancer risk than a Pap smear.
For most women under 65, a visit to the gynecologist often includes an unpleasant necessity: a Pap smear to check for cervical cancer risk.
The test involves letting a doctor or nurse scrape cells from the back of the cervix, which are visually inspected for signs of abnormality.
There's a simpler way to screen for cervical cancer risk, by directly testing for the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which causes 99 percent of cervical cancer. A study published in JAMA Tuesday suggests that method might be preferable for women age 30 and over.
The FDA in 2014 approved the first HPV test, which tests vaginal and cervical secretions (which can be gathered with a swab) for the presence of
