Pap smears don't treat cancer, they seek it. Pap smear testing cannot detect all cancer, just most of it. Under 21: You probably don't need one. Under 30: Get a regular pap ever 3 years, keep getting pelvic exams. Over thirty? Add a HPV test to your pap. Previous abnormal? You may have recurrence risk for over 20 years. We have told women that they need yearly pap smears for so many years that even though it's been a recommendation since 2003 to do fewer pap smears we are often sticking to the every year pap. And you and your gyno know more about your risks. Drs. Chelmow, Waxman, Cain and Lawrence writing a commentary on this topic in Obstetrics and Gynecology this month (April 2012) have said that the 'yearly' plan was 'chosen arbitrarily.' It's hard for gynos to switch gears, and we didn't embrace the every other or every third year smears as a group. Now again we have extended the overall interval that pap smears are necessary, and it's all based on your age, and the next factor is your history of cervical disease and HPV disease. We know that vaccination will affect this as well, but currently whether you have been vaccinated against HPV disease doesn't change when we recommend pap smear testing. Very specific factors in your case have to be discussed with your individual gyno. She may not have even had time to digest all the technical information in these guidelines. They are published on line for those who are interested in the details.
Pap smears don't treat cancer, they seek it. Pap smear testing cannot detect all cancer, just most of it. Under 21: You probably don't need one. Under 30: Get a regular pap ever 3 years, keep getting pelvic exams. Over thirty? Add a HPV test to your pap. Previous abnormal? You may have recurrence risk for over 20 years. We have told women that they need yearly pap smears for so many years that even though it's been a recommendation since 2003 to do fewer pap smears we are often sticking to the every year pap. And you and your gyno know more about your risks. Drs. Chelmow, Waxman, Cain and Lawrence writing a commentary on this topic in Obstetrics and Gynecology this month (April 2012) have said that the 'yearly' plan was 'chosen arbitrarily.' It's hard for gynos to switch gears, and we didn't embrace the every other or every third year smears as a group. Now again we have extended the overall interval that pap smears are necessary, and it's all based on your age, and the next factor is your history of cervical disease and HPV disease. We know that vaccination will affect this as well, but currently whether you have been vaccinated against HPV disease doesn't change when we recommend pap smear testing. Very specific factors in your case have to be discussed with your individual gyno. She may not have even had time to digest all the technical information in these guidelines. They are published on line for those who are interested in the details.
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