When Should You Have Your First Pap Smear?

When a teen or tween girl becomes to reach the age of maturity and womanhood there are numerous questions that will arise regarding a gynecologist visit and what should go on. One of the biggest questions is when to have a first pap smear. The pap smear is a test that screens for various types of cervical cancer and is very important for young women to have done. But when should you have your first pap smear done?

There are various recommendations going around the internet about when to have a first pap smear, but the American Cancer Society suggests that a woman's first pap smear should be done within 3 years of her becoming sexually active or by the time she reaches the age of 21. This leaves much to be discussed with the gynecologist though because the age of sexual activity has steadily gotten lower and lower. Girls these days have been known to be sexually active as young as 10 years old making the age for a first pap smear more like 13 than 21!

How do You Know it's Time for Your first Pap Smear?

If you have already lost your virginity then within three years of that date you should be given your first pap smear test. The pap test should not be avoided due to fear of what is to come. In fact, the pap smear test is so vital in catching certain cervical cancers in their early stages that in many cases even an abnormal pap smear test will result in cancer free living for many years to come. It's important to have the pap smear done within the first few years after you have become sexually active so that if there are any cell abnormalities they can be caught in their early stages thus often times preventing the transformation into cancerous cells which could be deadly.

How often should you have a pap smear?

It is recommended that after your first pap smear, women under 30 receive pap tests at least once every three years. After the age of 30 the tests should continue to be performed every 2-3 years until the age of about 65. At 65, the American Cancer Society suggests that pap smears are only necessary if there is a history of abnormal cells or cervical cancer. Otherwise, it is usually safe to discontinue the pap smear test around 65 or 70 years old.

Most important is that within those first three years of having sexual intercourse, a woman should have her first pap smear test to determine if there is any cell abnormality. If you haven't had sex before you are 21, you should still have a first pap smear performed by this time to prevent cell abnormalities and certain cervical cancers from being treated in a timely manner.