We investigated factors associated with the frequency of Papanicolaou cytologic screening among women between the ages of 20 and 54 years in metropolitan Atlanta. In a sample of 393 women who had not had a hysterectomy, the frequency of screening was uniformly high for women aged 20 to 49 years, but declined for women aged 50 to 54 years. Low household income and low gravidity were associated with less frequent screening among whites, but low income and low gravidity correlated positively with the frequency of screening among blacks.