A. The Papanicolaou test (Pap test) is one of the most widely used cancer screening tests in North America today. Which cancer you ask? Cancer of the cervix (the opening to the uterus/womb).
Cancer of the cervix is the third most common cancer in women. Most importantly however, is that over 95% of people with early cancer of the cervix can be CURED. And that's where the Pap test comes in, not as a cure, but as a screening test done on ALL women. Done properly, the Pap test can detect 95% of cervical cancers, and the earlier it is found, the easier it is to treat.
So when do we begin doing this test? Well, there are a few risk factors for this disease, and most of them have to do with sexual activity. So we begin doing Pap tests on women once they become sexually active. How often we repeat the test is under some debate right now, but the concensus is that if after three years of annual testing everything appears normal, testing every three years is enough.
Now, on to your excellent question. Although opinions differ slightly, it is generally agreed upon that a person who has never been sexually active, no matter what her age, does NOT need to undergo a Pap test. Besides the point that her risk of getting cervical cancer is minimal, there is a practical aspect to consider. In order to have the test, the woman needs to be examined with a speculum, a device inserted into the vagina in order to better see the cervix. In a woman who has never been penetrated, this could be painful.
Bottom line:
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