When should I have a Pap smear?

That depends on how old you are and what the results of your past Pap test.

If you are age 21 to 29, you should have a Pap test every 3 years.
If you are age 30 or older, you can have a Pap test every 3 years or a combination Pap and HPV test every 5 years.
If you are age 65 or older, you can stop having Pap tests if:
- You had Pap tests done regularly until you turned 65.
- You had 3 normal Pap tests in a row, or 2 normal combination Pap and HPV tests over the past 10 years (with the most recent test within the past 5 years).
You might also get a Pap test if you have certain symptoms, such as vaginal bleeding.

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