The greatest wealth is health.

The best test ever invented for women's health care is the pap smear.  Devoloped by a Greek Gynecologist, Dr Papanicolaou,  the pap smear has saved millions of women's lives since it was introduced in the 1950's as a way to screen for cervix cancer.  Prior to the pap smear 10% of women developed cervix cancer mainly in their 30's.  Cervix cancer is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus that is transmitted by sexual contact (also causing throat and anal cancers).  A pap smear tests for pre-cancerous changes up to 3 years before there is cancer.  This is why it is so effective in preventing cervix cancer.  Women who receive a yearly pap smear have a 1 in half a million chance of dying of cervix cancer (that is half the rate of dying by being struck by lightning).  Recently guidelines stating women do not need yearly pap smears have come out.  They are wrong.  What benefit is their to women by rationing their pap smears..  The benefit is to Insurance compaies saving money.  By stating women don't need a pap smear every year what is actually being said is your life isn't worth a yearly pap smear.  I think it is.

Cervix cancer is caused by HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) that is passed through sexual contact.  It is very prevalant.  80-90% of sexually active people have it.  It is the "common cold" of the cervix.  It is so common it is assumed most people have it.  With a healthy immune system it is dormant in most people.  The pap smear tests to see if the virus is dormant or ative.

If you want to space out your pap smears these are my recommendations:

-No history of HPV

-Normal yearly pap smears for the last 10 years

-A mutually monogamous sexual relationship

If these conditions are met then I feel spacing out your pap smear to every 2-3 years is an "acceptable" risk.  If you want to space out your pap smear it should be your choice, not your insurance companies choice.