Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
National Cervical Screening Program
Photos of Women

NCSP Policies

This page contains the national policies of the National Cervical Screening Program.

Policy overview

The national policy provides consensus guidelines on which women need screening and how often Pap smears should be taken. It states:
  1. Routine screening with Pap smears should be carried out every two years for women who have no symptoms or history suggestive of cervical pathology.
  2. All women who have ever been sexually active should start having Pap smears between the ages of 18 and 20 years, or one or two years after first having sexual intercourse, whichever is later.
  3. Pap smears may cease at the age of 70 years for women who have had two normal Pap smears within the last five years. Women over 70 years who have never had a Pap smear, or who request a Pap smear, should be screened.
This policy applies to women with no symptoms and normal Pap smear results who should be screened every two years. Women with abnormal smear results should be managed in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council Screening to prevent cervical cancer: guidelines for the management of asymptomatic women with screen detected abnormalities.

Topic specific policies

These policies have been developed by the Screening Subcommittee to address new issues.