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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > Female -- Ob/Gyn Visits > Pap smear?
Posted on: 10/12/2007
Question
My period is so irregular. sometimes my period comes 3 weeks late, or a month late.
My doctor suggest me to do pap smear. She said she wants to check for cervical cancer but i never had sex. By the way I am about to be 20. Should I do it? What if I will never have sex until 23 and my period still irregular, could it be cervical cancer? and should I do pap smear too? Thanks
Answer
New pap smear guidelines recommend to have a pap smear by age of 21 even if have never been sexually active. Even though this is a recommendation, many patients choose not to have a pap smear until they have become sexually active. Physicians will usually perform a pelvic exam, including a speculum exam (to visualize the vagina and cervix), to make sure the anatomy appears normal. Anatomical causes should be considered when patients complain of irregular bleeding patterns.