In the past, if you wanted to screen for cervical cancer, you had to go to the doctor for a Pap test (also known as a Pap smear) or a Pap test plus HPV testing.
The Pap test looks for changes in a sample of cells from the cervix, the narrow opening from the vagina into the uterus.
HPV tests look at the DNA or RNA in cervical cells to detect the high-risk HPV types that may cause cervical cancer.
HPV testing is the most accurate way to identify women at risk of developing cervical cancer.