For women aged 30-65, Pap smear with cytology alone is performed every how many years?

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Multiple Choice

For women aged 30-65, Pap smear with cytology alone is performed every how many years?

Cervical cancer screening intervals depend on age and the testing method. For women aged 30–65 who are using Pap smear cytology alone, the recommended interval is every 3 years. Cytology alone has lower sensitivity than HPV testing, so a 3-year cadence provides a balance between catching precancerous changes in time and avoiding unnecessary procedures from over-screening. If cytology is combined with HPV testing (co-testing), the interval can be extended to every 5 years because the higher sensitivity of HPV testing allows longer gaps between screenings.

Cervical cancer screening intervals depend on age and the testing method. For women aged 30–65 who are using Pap smear cytology alone, the recommended interval is every 3 years. Cytology alone has lower sensitivity than HPV testing, so a 3-year cadence provides a balance between catching precancerous changes in time and avoiding unnecessary procedures from over-screening. If cytology is combined with HPV testing (co-testing), the interval can be extended to every 5 years because the higher sensitivity of HPV testing allows longer gaps between screenings.

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