Your 20s: Keeping it healthy
Using condoms correctly and consistently is crucial, even if you are using other forms of birth control. If you haven’t yet been vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), talk to your doctor and find out if it makes sense for you to get the shot, which protects against the types of genital HPV that cause most cases of cervical cancer.
Whether you’ve been vaccinated or not, you should be getting a Pap smear every two years, starting at age 21 (even if you’re not sexually active). If you’re 25 or younger, you should be screened for chlamydia annually; ask your gyno how often you should be tested for other STIs, including HIV.
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