tests within a 10-year period and you are 65 to 70 years old, you probably can stop having these screening tests. If your doctor also has been screening you for HPV (human papillomavirus) and the tests are coming back negative, it is likely that it would be all right to stop having Pap tests.
Q. I am in a same-sex relationship, so do I need cervical cancer screening?
A. Because HPV is so widespread, women in the LGBT communities are at risk for cervical cancer, especially if one of the partners, or a partner’s previous sex partner, has had some heterosexual exposure. So continued cervical cancer screening is recommended.
Q. I am not sexually active. Do I still need to get a Pap test?
A. Because it is possible to be exposed to HPV without sexual contact, it’s a good idea to start having a Pap test at age 21. After that, doctors generally recommend getting tested every two or three years. After age 30, Pap smears are usually recommended every three years, or every five years when the Pap smear is combined with an HPV test.