Doctors Say Go Ahead and Pass on DIY Pap Smears

i'm not okay with waiting 2 years between paps for two reasons: 1)it helps you/forces you to get tested regularly without making a special appointment and 2) i wouldn't want to have cancer or a serious STD for 2 years without knowing...the earlier you catch it, the better

i also take my yearly pap appointment as an opportunity to get my breasts checked by a professional as well...i don't like doing it at home (i try but i dont like it, and i dont think i'm doing a thorough job) so this gives me peace of mind

no, paps aren't fun, but coming out of there knowing you have a clean bill of health is worth it, in my opinion

I can see the reasoning behind not checking yourself... your body heals from an HPV infection on its own within two years. Most cases don't cause cervical cancer or any health problems. However, if you have an infection for more than two years, that is a decent indicator that something is wrong, as your immune system didn't fight it off in the two-year-window. So by going every two years and only returning for a yearly if you had an abnormal one, you save time, energy, money, worry, etc. And the doctors, instead of the usual "this is very common" speech, will have a reason to put you higher up on the priority scale. I can also imagine that the self-test would cause a bit of panic among users, who would then need to go to a doctor anyway. There's a bit of mystery surrounding HPV. For some people, especially if they're sexually active with multiple partners, will want to be tested more often and I think that's fine. But barring any special consideration, I think a healthy, monogamous person who doesn't change partners can get away with the test every two years.

I agree with notinthemood. Tres, I know it's hard to wrap your mind around it, but think of it this way: if they test positive and go to the doctor, the doctor is just going to tell them to come back in 6 months.

I'm with notinthemood. I'm young, healthy, and only having sex with one person. If that weren't the case, I probably would go in every year, but for now it's just an extra expense and extra uncomfortable appointment that I don't really need.

tlsgirl - You should probably still go in at least every 2 years. I had been in a monogomous relationship for over 3 years when I had an abnormal pap. The doctor said that you can have the virus for years before it actually manifests and shows up in a pap test, which totally caught me off guard. So just to be safe, I wouldn't swear them off completely.

Oh yeah, I mean I'll definitely still do the once every two years thing. I'm just happy I don't have to do it every year now. As an aside, those things are expensive! Even going to Planned Parenthood is definitely something I have to budget for without insurance.

I think two years is adequate, at least when you're younger (and/or don't have any reason to be concerned about contracting new STIs). I've been going every six months for the last year and a half, had my first colposcopy (which was far more unpleasant than a pap smear), and it all seems really unnecessary since nothing serious has ever turned up, and I doubt it will in the next 6 months, but still I'll be back in June. I guess I could just refuse another appointment.

Also DIY does sound like a terrible idea. I'll leave that to a professional, I don't mind that much.

As for myself, I like to stick to my yearly doctor's visit. The pap smear is only PART of the exam. There are other important components involved, too, -- a physical (examination of the breasts, ovaries, uterus, blood pressure, heart beat, breathing, etc), comprehensive blood work, etc.

Also, it's an opportunity for me to discuss any questions I have with my doctor. This year, I plan to talk to my doctor about salt intake (last year, it was about alcohol ).

For me, I like the once a year check-up.

Ladies, listen: there's a clinic near me does STD testing for $10. They asked me when my last pap was, and I was about 6 months overdue, so they threw it in for free. Gave me a free three month supply of birth control pills too! If you don't have insurance to cover gyno expenses, contact your county's Board of Health, they might be able to hook you up cheap.

That being said, I would be too scared of messing it up: what if I swab the wrong place, and I get a false negative? I'm so paranoid when it comes to that sort of thing! I once went to the doctor once with an ingrown hair; I was sure it was an STI. The doctor laughed at me, because it was OBVIOUSLY an ingrown hair. I was so freaked out, I refused to leave until he swabbed it and tested it. I think I'll leave this to the professionals, too.

I work for a very popular OB/GYN and have to explain this all the time. HPV is only truly dangerous if it is showing symptoms (warts, etc) or if you are over 30. When younger women get hpy, the body generally clears it up on its own. If you test positive, you have to get a colposcopy, where they take a small piece of your cervix. If that doesn;t work, the do a LEEP, in which they "burn" the infected areas. By telling you not to worry when you are young, they are trying to prevent scarring and damage that could occur while trying to 'cure' something that would resolve itself. Also, a PAP doesn't test for std's, just changes in cells. Bloodwork and cultures test for STD's. Trust your doctor, he/she went for many years of school to learn all of this so you don't have to.

Important issue: How does the DIY reliability compare? Suggest the doctors do the doctor stuff.

This really reminds me of the new suggestions/guidelines for not doing self breast exams. Mostly because it actually causes more unnecessary biopsies etc. I have to go in once a year and do the whole work up or they won't give me my Rx for the pill, otherwise I would be happy to just do a regular physical once a year and skip the pap (and save my insurance company a good $300). I can't help but wonder if the extra testing that's done all the time is a decent-sized piece of the healthcare puzzle?