See the Clinical Considerations section for discussion of adequate prior screening and risk factors that support screening after age 65 years. The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women older than 65 years who have had adequate prior screening and are not otherwise at high risk for cervical cancer. The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women who have had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix and do not have a history of a high-grade precancerous lesion (ie, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or 3) or cervical cancer. The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women younger than 21 years. See the Clinical Considerations section for the relative benefits and harms of alternative screening strategies for women 21 years or older. For women aged 30 to 65 years, the USPSTF recommends screening every 3 years with cervical cytology alone, every 5 years with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing alone, or every 5 years with hrHPV testing in combination with cytology (cotesting). The USPSTF recommends screening for cervical cancer every 3 years with cervical cytology alone in women aged 21 to 29 years.
