How often should routine physicals be scheduled for women?
For women who are sexually active (i.e. have had sexual intercourse at least one time) annual pap smears are needed. For women who are virgins, it would be a good idea to check for anemia at least once a year, but pap smears are not needed. If a woman is a virgin, and is not interested in checking for anemia, she can follow a schedule similar to men. That is, every five years until age 40, then every one to two years starting at age 40.
