The value of a Pap test is that it can detect early, "pre-cancerous" changes in cells in the cervix. Cervical cancer usually takes a long time to develop, and if abnormalities are detected early, they can be treated before they develop into cancer.

All women are encouraged to have annual pelvic exams and regular cervical cancer screening beginning within three years after they have become sexually active or by the age of 21, whichever is first. Even women who are past their child-bearing years should have regularly scheduled Pap tests.