A 37-year-old woman presents to the office for a consultation about family planning. She is married for 11 years and she has never had any extra-marital relationships. They have been tested negative for HIV infection. She hopes to become pregnant and to stop using condoms. She had normal Pap smears for the past 18 years. The last Pap smear was 1 year ago.
When does she need to have her next Pap smear?
A- During this visit
B- in 6 months
C- in 1 year
D- in 2 years
E- in 3 years
Answer:
This patient is at low risk of cervical cancer. She is in a monogamous relationship for 11 years and she had many negative Pap smears along the past 18 years. For these reasons, it is appropriate to lengthen the interval for Pap smear tests to every 3 years. So, her next Pap smear should be in 2 years as her last one was 1 year ago.