For healthy women it is usually recommended to have a combined TCT and HPV screening once every 3-5 years. If checking for HPV alone is used as a screening tool, it is usually recommended that women get tested once every 3 years or so.
HPV stands for Human Papilloma Virus. When infected with high-risk HPV, a woman’s chances of developing cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions increase significantly, so it is very important to get screened for HPV regularly.
Currently most only recommend TCT screening for women under the age of 30, and for women between the ages of 30-65 years old it is usually recommended to have a TCT and HPV screening once every 3-5 years. If the HPV test is performed solely as a screening tool, it only needs to be done every 3 years. The above recommended timing of HPV screening for women is only for healthy women and women whose test results are all normal.
If a woman has a history of HPV infection or an abnormal TCT test, and if she has a history of precancerous lesions or cervical cancer, it is recommended that she undergo a combination of TCT and HPV screening once a year. Therefore, it is important for women to take care of their health and have regular HPV screening.