How often do I need a Pap smear?

Everyone with a cervix should get a screening test for cervical cancer, which is most often caused by HPV. If you got a Pap test without an HPV test, you’ll need to keep getting one every three years (as long as your results are normal). If you had an HPV test or a pap smear and HPV test at the same time, you only need screening every 5 years. Some people with certain risk factors (or if you’ve had an abnormal pap smear or an HPV infection in the past) may need to have more frequent Pap smears, HPV tests, or treatments to prevent cancer.