In the last several years, cervical cancer screening practice has been changing.  Why?

1. Cytology:  The Pap test has limitations.  It is not a good test by itself, because many studies have shown that the sensitivity of a conventional Pap test is only about 50%, although the specificity is still very high, about 98%. 
   
   
2. We also have a liquid-based cytology test which improves sensitivity over conventional Pap, but will still miss anywhere from 15%-35% according to analyses published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).  
    
   
3. Repeating Pap testing 2-3 times yearly can achieve about 88% sensitivity while compensating for the low sensitivity of the Pap test.