Recommendations for Pap tests (Pap smears) have changed in recent years, and you may not need one as frequently as you did in the past. A Pap test is performed during a pelvic exam and screens for abnormal cells on the cervix, which can be a sign of cervical cancer. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women start cervical cancer screenings at age 21 and get a Pap test every three years until age 29. Beginning at 30, women should get a Pap test every three years, a high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) test every five years, or a combined high-risk HPV and Pap test every five years. Most women over 65 do not need screening for cervical cancer.