Every woman should have an annual Pap examination when she becomes sexually active or turns 18 years old - whichever comes first. If you are having menstrual periods, the best time for a Pap examination is during the two weeks following the end of menstrual flow. If you've reached menopause, you can schedule your Pap examination anytime. To ensure that the cells your physician obtains during the exam are adequate for evaluation, you should abstain from sexual activity and avoid using vaginal douches or lubricants for 48 hours before the examination. The College of American Pathologists recommends that you have yearly Pap and pelvic examinations.
Cervical cancer takes time to develop into a deadly disease.
With early detection by a Pap examination, cervical precancer or cancer can be treated with a high probability of cure. If your partner has had sex with other women, you are at high risk even if you have had only one partner. You have had genital warts. You had sexual relations before the age of 18. You previously had an abnormal Pap examination.