Exactly, it depends on age. In Italy today, screening for cervical cancer involves performing a Pap test every 3 years in women aged 25 to 65, in the case of 2 negative tests in a row. The Pap test is not indicated before 25 years of age because Papillomavirus infections in young women typically regress spontaneously. Undergoing an exam would thus be a useless exposure to stress and further examinations without any real preventative necessity. On the other hand, the HPV test before 30 years of age is not considered useful because the probability that it results positive is very high, considering that it is at this age that the initial infection usually occurs. The National Health System has established that by 2018, Italian regions will have to organize screening for cervical cancer using the HPV test in women over 30 years of age, to be repeated every five years. For younger women between 25 and 30, the current Pap test will continue to be used.
HPV infection is asymptomatic, and therefore, its transmission is very widespread. Thus, it is advisable to check for any pre-cancerous lesions through screening (Pap Test or HPV Test) in order to identify these lesions as early as possible, and keep them under control, and, if necessary, treat them before they evolve into a tumor.
