Table 1.

Summary of cervical cancer screening guidelines for women age 30–65 by organization over time

	ACS	ACOG	ASCCP**	USPSTF
Pre-2003	Yearly Pap test, but after 3 consecutive normal exams, less frequently at the discretion of the doctor	Yearly Pap test	Annual or Bienniel Pap smears	Pap test at least every 3 years, but no benefit to annual Paps
	[39]	[40]	[41]	[42]
2003–2009	Age 30+: after 3 normal Paps in a row- can move to every 2–3 years; OR screen every 3 years with Pap/HPV co-test	Age 30+: after 3 normal Paps in a row- can move to every 2–3 years; OR screen every 3 years with Pap/HPV co-test	2004: Okay to co-test every 3 years	Pap test at least every 3 years, but no benefit to annual Paps, insufficient evidence to recommend co-testing
	[14, 39]	[15]	[16]	[43]
2009–2012	No change	Age 30+: Pap every 2 years; OR after 3 consecutive negative Paps can be screened once every 3 years	No change	No change
		[44]
2012-present	Age 30–65: Pap test every 3 years or Pap/HPV co-test every 5 years*	Age 30–65: Pap test every 3 years or Pap/HPV co-test every 5 years*	Age 30–65: Pap test every 3 years or Pap/HPV co-test every 5 years*	Age 30–65: Pap test every 3 years or Pap/HPV co-test every 5 years
	[6, 39]	[8]	[6]	[7]

^*Cytology only acceptable, Co-test preferred method

^**guidelines primarily for abnormal cytology until 2012