The NWT government has introduced new cervical cancer screening guidelines that include a change in the type of test used.
“As a key part of these updated screening guidelines, the GNWT has switched from using Papanicolaou (Pap) tests to human papillomavirus (HPV) tests,” the territory announced this week.
The GNWT said that while not all strains of the HPV infection cause cancer, some high-risk strains “can cause cells to change into cancer cells and should be monitored.”
“This switch to HPV testing enables earlier detection of those high-risk strains of HPV, before cells have had a chance to change,” a press release stated. “Previously, Pap tests looked for abnormal cells that had already changed because of HPV, but did not routinely test for HPV itself.”
The updated guidelines recommend that screening begins at age 25 if you’re asymptomatic and continue every three years until your late 60s, or 74 if you’re immunocompromised.
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