New guidelines issued for Pap smears

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- A test for cervical cancer is needed less frequently than previously recommended, regardless of a woman's age, a doctors' group says.

New guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advise young women to forgo having Pap smears until they reach the age of 21, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

The updated guidelines, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, recommend an initial Pap test three years after becoming sexually active or at age 21, whichever comes first.

Testing is recommended every two years for women 21-29 and every three years for women 30 or older who have had three normal Pap smears in a row.

The guideline changes for Pap smears were issued just days after a federal panel scaled back advice on breast cancer screening.

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force dismissed routine breast cancer screenings for most women under the age of 50.