Another day, another medical task force concluding that tests we women have long considered essential to our continued good health are unnecessary and overly costly.
In this case, it's yearly Pap smears, those staples of our annual exams, that have come under fire. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced Wednesday that women under 65 only need to have Pap tests every three years, saying studies suggest there is "little added benefit" to more frequent testing.
But here's the part that really makes me mad: The task force cited not only the cost of more frequent screening as a factor (no surprise there), but also, as they often do in such cases, asserted that yearly testing may cause women to have "needless anxiety because of false positive results."
What, are we women so sensitive and emotionally delicate that we can't handle a little potentially bad news in the interest of our good health? In that case, really, why test at all?
Honestly, it's ridiculous. Do these medical experts think women are incapable of understanding that sometimes tests yield positive results only to have that finding cleared up in follow-up tests? Do they think we'd rather not know that we might have cervical cancer, if there is, in fact, the possibility that we do? Who isn't willing to put up with a little stress in the interest of our health?
Personally, I'd be fine with a false positive result if it was cleared with a negative follow-up. At least I'd know I was getting a complete health picture. And if that positive result was confirmed, I'd sure as hell rather know that right away than having to wait three years and possibly finding the cervical cancer at a more advanced stage. Wouldn't you?
Would you rather get a Pap test every year, or only every three years?
Image via Truthout.org/Flickr
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Comments 109
Every year! I'd also rather get a false positive. If it turned out false, great! If not, at least we'd know and could take some action to fix the problem. I'd love to know who these 'experts' are.
It's because I went 2-3 years that I now have to get cryotherapy done for moderate dysplasia. Go every year. They suck but it sucks worse when a problem goes undetected and causes long term damage.
It's not so traumatic that I can't go every year. Geez.
Some women only see their OB/GYN, and only for their annual exam. If we make that every three years, it wouldn't be just not catching cervical cancer early, it would also be blood pressure issues, heart disease and other basic health issues they help catch for women.
My health is more important than any discomfort or "trauma" from a false positive.
They didn't say false positives are bad because women are too emotional. It's because a false positive leads to unnecessary biopsies, which can lead to problems. I have a lot of friends who have been put through this needlessly.
Thanks, but I'll keep going every year. It's not just cancer they test for and nothing they may find is something you want to put off treating for three years. I like my body and respect it too much to accept stupid rules and poor care.