Thursday, December 3, 2009

Changes in Guidelines for Pap Smears

According to new guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), women should start receiving Pap smears at age 21 and have one every two years up to age 30. Women age 30 and over should receive a Pap smear once every three years, according to the new recommendations, which intend to lower the risk of unnecessary treatment.


Preceding guidelines recommended that women start receiving annual Pap smears at age 21, or three years after becoming sexually active. The new guidelines are based on evidence that overtreatment is brought about by more frequent screening. One of the consequences of overtreatment in young women is an increased risk of preterm labor, amplifying the possibility of birth defects.


Women do not get cervical cancer first, they acquire HPV, noted Dr. Jennifer Milosavijevic, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology who supports the new guidelines. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, which slowly progresses from an infection to cervical cancer over several years. According to Milosavijevic, most cervical cancer deaths in the U.S. are in women who are screened rarely or not at all.


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