Medical panel changes guidance for cervical cancer screening

Published August 21, 2018 7:25pm ET



Women who are 30 and older can opt out of getting a pap smear and instead take an HPV test that checks for cervical cancer, according to new guidance from an influential medical panel.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government-appointed panel that makes healthcare recommendations, has also advised that women between the ages of 21 and 29 continue having pap smears, but can take the test every three years.

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