Earlier this week, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists changed their guidelines for cervical cancer screening.
Because there are so few cases of invasive cervical cancer among young women, and there is a risk of over treatment, they now say that even sexually active young women should not be given a Pap smear before the age of 21.
Then, starting at age 21, most women should be screened every other year instead of every year, and they should be screened only once every three years after the age of 30 if a they have had three normal Pap tests in a row.
“This is not a radical change in screening practices. This is something that’s been coming gradually since the 1980s,” said Dr. Alan G. Waxman, who helped write the new guidelines.
“The driving force behind the change was the numerous studies that show women who are treated for cervical dysplasias are more likely to have a preterm birth,” said Waxman, who is a professor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
ACOG now recommends:
* Screening women with Pap testing between the ages of 21 and 30 every two years instead of annually
* Screening women 30 and older who have had three consecutive normal Pap test results every three years instead of annually
* More frequent screening for women with risk factors for cervical cancer