The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recommended that women wait until they are 21 to undergo a pap test to be screened for cervical cancer. It is also recommended that women in their 20s have these tests biannually rather than annually and that women over 30 be screened every three years. The findings were published in the forthcoming issue of their trade magazine Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Now let me be clear that unlike the recent recommendations regarding mammograms this is not coming from the federal government. ACOG is a professional medical association. Obviously I have no training to comment on the medical merits of these new standards. Yet I cannot help but wonder if the Obama Administration's plan to reform health care played a role in changing these guidelines. Just as women are being asked to wait to be tested for breast cancer they are also now being asked to wait to be tested for cervical cancer. Coincidence? Highly unlikely.
The subheadline on ABC News reads, "Doctors Say Young Women Can Wait for First Pap, and Get Them Less Often." So much for preventative medicine.
Friday, November 20, 2009
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1 comment:
Good to know about these...due to general fears many get the tests done much earlier than that.
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