The health test most women postpone until life forces them to take it

There is always a reason to delay it. A quarterly review. A school deadline. A family commitment. Travel. Fatigue. You feel well, so the test does not feel urgent.

Cervical cancer screening is one of the most postponed health checks among Indian women. And yet, it is one of the few cancers that is largely preventable. India reports approximately 1.25–1.30 lakh new cervical cancer cases annually, with nearly 75,000–80,000 deaths each year. It remains the second most common cancer among Indian women, often affecting them in their most productive years.

What makes this particularly concerning is that cervical cancer typically develops slowly, often over 10–15 years. In its early stages, it causes no obvious symptoms. By the time abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, or unusual discharge appear, treatment may already be more extensive and physically demanding.

Screening interrupts that progression

A Pap smear and/or HPV test can detect precancerous changes long before they turn into invasive cancer. When identified early, these changes are often treated through minor outpatient procedures, preventing cancer altogether. Importantly, cervical cancer screening is not required every year for most women. Current recommendations suggest that Women aged 21–29 should undergo a Pap smear every 3 years, and Women aged 30–65 should undergo HPV testing every 5 years, or a Pap smear every 3 years (as advised by a physician)

Yet despite these reasonable intervals, screening uptake in India remains extremely low. National surveys indicate that fewer than 2–3% of eligible women undergo regular screening. The reasons are familiar:

• No symptoms

• Fear of results

• Discomfort or embarrassment

• Competing priorities

• The assumption that “I’ll do it later.”

Women are caregivers, planners, and decision-makers. They manage complex schedules. Yet preventive care for themselves is often deferred. The test itself takes approximately 10–15 minutes. There is no hospital stay, no recovery period, and no disruption to work. In health, as in business, early intervention reduces long-term cost — physical, emotional, and financial.

Cervical cancer is, in many cases, preventable. But only if screening happens before symptoms force action. If you have postponed it because you felt fine, that is precisely when it should be done. Prevention does not require urgency. It requires foresight.

(This is an authored article by Dr. Kanika Batra Modi, Associate Director & Clinical Lead – Gynecological Oncology at Max Institute of Cancer Care)