The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) Pap Smear Guidelines
- Starting at age 21, women should receive a Pap smear every other year - until the age of 29.
- Women over the age of 30 who have had three negative Pap smears in a row can switch to being screened once every three years.
- For women over the age of 65 with three negative Pap smears in the previous 10 years, cervical cancer screening can be stopped altogether.
- Women who have had complete hysterectomies do not require cervical cancer screening.
Until November of 2009, the ACOG Pap smear guidelines had suggested that women start getting annual Pap smears 3 years after they became sexually active or at age 21 - whichever came first. These new guidelines, which make screening both start later and become less frequent, are more similar to the updated American Cancer Society recommendations that were released several years earlier.
Why Change the Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines?
The change in cervical cancer screening guidelines reflects the fact that many times early pre-cancerous cervical changes revert on their own and do not require treatment. Although the Pap smear itself isn't dangerous, too much follow up can be. Unnecessary treatments and invasive diagnostic tests can sometimes cause more harm than good, potentially impacting a young woman's future fertility and health. The scientists who revised the guidelines believe that the cost of the small number of invasive cancers that will be missed by postponing screening is more than outweighed by the benefits to the health of the many women who would have been harmed by being over treated.
My Take On The Changes
Although I am somewhat concerned that these new cervical cancer screening guidelines may also have a negative impact on other STD screenings, I can see that reducing the frequency of cervical cancer screenings is a more palatable way of reducing the problems with follow-up than changing treatment guidelines. Unfortunately, once a problem has been detected on a Pap smear it can be difficult to convince patients that it may resolve on its own and treatment may not be necessary. "Wait and see" is often not the most appealing option to a patient worried about cancer. There is also the legitimate concern that failure to treat, even when appropriate, may open up physicians to the possibility of lawsuits.
