FAQs
Precerv aims to provide everyone with the information they need to understand and advocate for the continued use of the Pap and Co-testing (Pap + HPV together). Here you’ll find some frequently asked questions, guidelines, and resources to help you become more familiar with these lifesaving screenings.
WHEN is the right time to get a Pap or Co-test (Pap + HPV together) for cervical cancer screening?
Cervical cancer screening is highly recommended for women between the ages of 21 and 65 years old. The frequency of screening depends more specifically on your exact age and breaks out as follows:
People between ages 21 and 29 should get a Pap test every 3 years
People between ages 30 and 65 should get:
A Pap test every 3 years, or
A Pap and HPV Co-test every 5 years, or
An HPV test every 5 years
*American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist.
Women’s Health Care Physicians. https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-advisory/articles/2021/04/updated-cervical-cancer-screening-guidelines. Released April 2021. Accessed May 10, 2021.
WHY are the Pap and / or Co-testing (Pap + HPV together) important screenings?
Cervical cancer was once the number one killer of women, but since the introduction of the Pap test, that number has dropped to fifteen.1 That’s a big deal! It means hundreds of thousands of people’s lives have been saved because the Pap and Co-testing (Pap + HPV together) were able to catch cervical cancers early enough to be successfully treated.
Studies and statistics show that Co-testing (Pap + HPV together) has caught 94.1% of cervical cancers and 99.7% of cervical pre-cancers,2 and has successfully identified 70% of cancers that were missed by the HPV test alone.3
- American Cancer Society. The Pap (Papanicolaou) Test. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervical-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/screening-tests/pap-test.html. Published 2020. Accessed Aug 19, 2021
- Kaufman H, et al. Contributions of Liquid-Based (Papanicolaou) Cytology and Human Papillomavirus Testing in Cotesting for Detection of Cervical Cancer and Precancer in the United States. Am J Clin Pathol. 2020:XX:0-0 DOI: 10.1093/AJCP/AQAA074 (Study included ThinPrep Pap test, ThinPrep imaging, SurePath Pap test, SurePath imaging, Aptima HPV and Hybrid Capture 2)
- Blatt AJ, et al. Comparison of cervical cancer screening results among 256,648 women in multiple clinical practices. Cancer Cytopathol. 2015;123(5):282-288. doi:10.1002/ cncy.21544 (Study included ThinPrep Pap Test, SurePath Pap Test and Hybrid Capture 2 assay)
HOW can I read and learn more about the Pap and Co-testing (Pap + HPV together)?
Knowledge is power and the more you know, the more you grow. Check out these additional resources and first hand stories about the Pap and Co-testing (Pap + HPV together).
WHERE can I hear from other women who have already had the Pap and / or Co-testing (Pap + HPV together)?
It’s always a big help to hear stories from people who have already experienced something you’re about to experience for the first time. Luckily, you’ve landed at the perfect spot to do just that.
This site is filled with stories, testimonials, and advice from people of all ages who have had a Pap and/or Co-testing (Pap + HPV together). They were once like you – unsure and curious about what the Pap is all about – and now they’re here to drop some knowledge and help you take charge of your own health and wellness.
WHAT exactly is the Pap test and Co-testing (Pap + HPV together)?
If you’ve heard of the Pap test or Co-testing (Pap + HPV together), but you have no idea what they are, you’re in good company. There’s a lot of information out there about how these screenings are conducted and what they actually achieve, so let’s start by separating the facts from the fiction and giving credit where credit is due.
The Pap test is a cervical cancer screening test which checks for cellular irregularities on the cervix. It was invented by George Papanicolaou, whose name is truly a mouthful, so it’s no surprise that we’ve all adopted a more user friendly name: the Pap. You might even say that George is the Pop of the Pap.
During the Pap test, your doctor will use a soft brush to collect cells from your cervix in order to check them for irregularities, with the primary goal of detecting and treating cervical cancer.
The Co-test combines the Pap with the HPV test. The HPV test is conducted in exactly the same way as the Pap test, but it looks specifically for the presence of HPV – the human papillomavirus – in your cervix. HPV can cause cellular irregularities, which can then lead to cervical cancer.
The best part of Co-testing is that it’s two separate tests (the Pap and the HPV test) conducted simultaneously, so one annual visit with twice the health benefits!