WOMEN should be able to get a Pap smear every five years instead of every three if they meet one condition, experts say.
All women aged 24 to 49 are currently getting free NHS checks for signs of cervical cancer for three years in a row.
But a study from King’s College London found that the screening would work just as well if the controls were instead five years apart.
However, five-year checkups should only be offered to women who test negative for HPV.
The virus — a group of insects called human papillomaviruses — is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer, and women who don’t have it have a much lower risk.
The King’s College researchers said HPV-negative women don’t need to be screened as often, which could improve their attendance.
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dr. Matejka Rebolj said: “These results are very reassuring.
“By switching to five-year screening, we can prevent as many cancers as before, while allowing fewer screenings.”
The screening tests look for changes in cells in the cervix that could lead to cancer.
About 3,000 women a year develop cervical cancer, which killed Jade Goody at age 27, but is more common in younger women.
The HPV vaccine is now eradicating the virus that causes most cases of the disease, so rates are falling.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, Dr. Rebolj said that HPV-positive women should still be checked regularly, but that appointments could be postponed in negative women.
The UK National Screening Committee has advised the NHS to use five-year intervals for HPV negative patients.
Doctors hope more women will attend screening appointments if they don’t have to go as often.
Michelle Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Research UK, said: “This study demonstrates that offering cervical screening with HPV testing effectively prevents cervical cancer without the need for frequent screening.”
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