If you are between 25 and 61 years old and have no symptoms, you can get a Pap smear every three years to prevent cervical cancer. The test is free and available even to women without health insurance.
You can benefit from the test if:
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you are between 25 and 61 years old and have no symptoms;
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you do not have medical insurance, under the same conditions as insured women;
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you had a previous normal result and it has been three years since your last test;
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you had a previous abnormal result and your doctor recommends repeating the test sooner or further investigations, such as colposcopy or biopsy;
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you haven’t been tested before, even if you are over 25 years old, on the recommendation of your family doctor.
If you have unusual bleeding, discharge, or pain, it is important to go to your family doctor or gynecologist for a medical check-up, not a screening test.
The Papanicolaou test allows for the early detection of cellular changes in the cervix, which can be treated before they develop into cancer.
