PAP Screening Change 2012
March 21st, 2012The USPTF issued a revision in screening practices for cervical cancer for this year. Some notable changes include: recommending that women be screened no more than every 3 years, removing the requirement for screening pap smears before the age of 21 regardless of sexual history, and recommending against screening for HPV in women younger than 30 years old.
While these changes are based on evidence from medical literature, I am concerned that these recommendations may make women more complacent about regular gynecological exams. Regular gynecological/pelvic visits are also helpful for screening/detecting sexually transmitted diseases, ovarian/uterine cancer, and pre-pregnancy counseling. For many young women, the only time they see a physician is when they visit their gyn for their “annual pap smear”. One of the reasons why many chronic diseases are better controlled in women is because women start routine medical care at a young age, and are able to develop a familiarity with regular health check-ups and prevention. Conversely, for many men even in their early 50’s, the last physician they saw was their pediatrician. By that time many chronic illness such as hypertension have already done their damage on blood vessel walls and can be more difficult to treat.
In addition, women with a history of previous gynecological cancers, HIV/AIDs, or strong family history of cancers should continue to be more vigilant about cervical cancer and discuss the issue with their physicians. These groups are at higher risk for cervical cancer, and the USPTF’s changes in screening do not apply to these groups.
