The Pap smear, developed in the 1930s, is a test that can detect very early changes in cervical cells, which then can be treated before they become cancerous. According to the College of American Pathologists, death rates from uterine cervical cancer have decreased 70 percent in the United States since the Pap smear exam was introduced, and four out of five women who die of cervical cancer in the United States have not had a Pap smear exam in at least five years.
Any woman can develop cervical cancer.
However, a woman is at higher risk for cervical cancer if she has had multiple sexual partners or a sexual partner who has had multiple partners, genital warts, sex before the age of 18, or a past abnormal Pap exam result. All women who are sexually active or over the age of 18 should have annual Pap exams, including women who have gone through menopause or had a hysterectomy. The best time to have a Pap exam is during the two weeks after the end of the menstrual period. In order to obtain a good sample, women should refrain from sexual activity and using douches or lubricants 48 hours before the exam. A Pap exam most often is done at the same time as a pelvic examination.