The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is a non-governmental panel that examines scientific evidence to provide recommendations on a wide range of health services. Draft recommendations allow for a period of public comment. Most recently, the USPSTF has issued draft revised guidelines for cervical cancer screening and is inviting public comment on the guidelines through October 9, 2017. 

What do the recommendations mean?

The recommendations depart from past recommendations by endorsing either Pap testing or HPV testing as viable cervical cancer screening options for women 30-65 years of age. For women 21-29, Pap testing is still recommended as the only option due to the superior sensitivity of the HPV test and the possibility of false positives in a younger population leading to unnecessary procedures.

Why does this matter?

You can influence how clinical care is delivered for LGBTQ individuals and others who are underserved in the health care system by providing feedback. Learn more about the recommendations from this fact sheet. You can provide feedback on the recommendations by visiting bit.ly/CervScrFeedback.