Health Tip – Mar. 25 – After Total Hysterectomy, No Pap Test Needed

If a woman has had a total hysterectomy, she no longer has a cervix and is at negligible risk for developing cervical cancer. In practical terms, she therefore doesn’t need a Pap test, which screens for cervical cancer. The same generally hold true for women over 65 who have a history of normal Pap screens. However, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many of those women are still being subjected to Pap smears.