In the UK it starts at 25 for regular screenings on the NHS. Personally, I think it should be 18 but it's 25 at the minute.

I agree it should be lowered. It also quite stupid that if you do have any concerns and want a cervical smear (and you are under 25), you have to jump through so many hoops in order to do so and even then they may not accept it as "you're not old enough"

In Canada we start getting them at 21 regardless of sexual activity. However, if you're sexually active, you get them 3yrs after you first become sexually active, so if you lose your virginity at 15, you'll start getting exams at 18. You can also get them anytime if you request it, which I think is a good system. It accounts for the fact that young women can get the cancer too, regardless of whether they've had sex, and also takes into consideration the heightened chances of getting it once you're sexually active (HPV virus and all).

Generally in the US, insurances don't require it until 20/21. However, a doctor will recommend/suggest they're done if it's known you're being sexually active. I would have still had 1-2 years before I had to deal with it, if I hadn't gotten pregnant.

There really isn't any evidence that starting the screening programme at 18 would be beneficial. It's an invasive test and the pick up rate from people <25 is astonishingly low. The majority of cervical cancer cases are secondary to infection with HPV virus (serotypes 16 and 18 are super cancer-y but are completely asymptomatic). There's no point screening people until they have had a chance to pick up HPV and its had a chance to create disordered cell growth. Please also remember the smear test doesn't test for cervical cancer but rather the precursor changes that may suggest you could get cervical cancer in the future. Actually it's really shite at picking up actual cancer and often misses it.

The whole point is to check for abnormal cells on the cervix. In Canada at least if you have one abnormal pap result then you need to return to the doctors office in ~6 months and get another one. If the second one also comes back abnormal then you get referred to an OBGYN for more specialized testing.

Actually, it's 21 in Scotland.

I'm 22 and my last two tests came back abnormal. Next step is a cervical biopsy or whatever. I cannot stress the importance of Pap smears enough to my peers. It's scary knowing there might be something very wrong down there. But I think it's scarier having something very wrong down there and not knowing at all.

Getting nausea when your cervix is touched (like in a pap smear) is common, and is an autonomic nervous system response. I've puked once from it, myself. It doesn't mean you're a wimp. It's a natural reaction in the body, and just happens to be stronger in some people than others.

Nope. Most screenings are done every 1-3 years depending on a variety of factors(age, results, of previous screens, whether one has offspring, etc). It's rarely ever that often unless there is an abnormal screen.