If I have sex before I’m 21, do I need a pap smear sooner?

If you live in the United States, we do not recommend that screening for HPV (with a pap smear) start before the age of 21. Period. This is because studies have shown that the chance of HPV turning into cervical cancer (this is, after all, the main reason that we do pap smears) is super rare in young people. You’ve got a great immune system!

One more thing to consider? The HPV vaccine. The current vaccine protects against nine strains of HPV and includes the strains that are the most likely to turn into cervical cancer and genital warts. It’s also been approved up to age 45, so if you haven’t already gotten it, it’s not too late to get it!

So to answer your question, nope! Not if you live in the US.