TresSugar

DrSugar Answers: How Often Am I Supposed to Go to the Gyno?

DrSugar — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:35:11 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's answering questions about the often dreaded annual gynecological exam.

Dear DrSugar,
I am confused about how frequently I am supposed to have a pap smear. I am 28 and mine have always been normal, and I am now married and monogamous. Should I have a pap every year or every other year? Do the recommendations change with age? If I don't need a pap smear should I still see a gynecologist for an annual exam? Thanks!
- Annually Confused

First of all, thank you for asking such a great question! I am inspired by your proactive approach to preventative care, of which pap smears and annual exams are very important - especially for young women! So let's review the guidelines for these preventative measures.

Grab Bag! Kathy Griffin to Get Pap Smear & Be Vajazzled on TV

TresSugar — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:00:16 PDT

We're all invited to Kathy Griffin's pap smear and vajazzlement - Scanner
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Does taking your husband's last name make you look less professional? - Double X
Playtex considers bras that can hold cell phones a selling point - The Awl
Test your knowledge of French fashion terms - FabSugar

Doctors Say Go Ahead and Pass on DIY Pap Smears

TresSugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:00:15 PDT

DIY isn't a term I like to associate with my health - I'm cool with a DIY manicure, but when it comes to something as important as screening for cancer I'm not doing it myself. After an online pharmacy in the UK launched new DIY pap smear tests that screen for cervical-cancer causing HPV, medical professionals are cautioning women against them. But the reasoning is a little counterintuitive.

Some experts say young women should not test themselves because the tests have a pretty good chance of coming up positive. It gets more confusing. While the positive HPV-test will likely be correct thanks to the high-prevalence of HPV, these doctors say it's better for women not to know so the sexually-transmitted infection has a chance to clear up on its own. Thus, the problem is not with the DIY nature of the test, but with the fact that it would lead to women getting tested more regularly.

I followed the recent, and controversial, updated guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which suggest women wait two years between pap smears, so I'm not surprised by this advice. Still, it's hard to wrap my head around the less is more approach to preventative care. What do you think?

CBS's Gift Guide: Give Your Woman a Pap Smear This Year

TresSugar — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:00:25 PST

I don't know what's worse about this PSA from CBS. That it's airing now, in 2009, or that the creator described his a-ha moment like this: "This project on pap smears started during dinner at Il Mulino, a well-known Italian restaurant in Manhattan's West Village."

Scheduling a pap smear isn't bad advice per se, but it makes a terrible Christmas present. "Honey, I scheduled your annual - they may run a few extra tests while you're there. Nothing to worry about!" Yet.

On Tap? A Test to Replace the Pap

DearSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:30:31 PDT

The annual Pap smear could become a relic if a new DNA test proves as effective as promised. According to a study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, a new screening involving DNA could be better than all other tests in detecting HPV and cervical cancer.

For women over 30, the test would only have to be performed every three, five, or 10 years, which would mean an end to the annual smear. But doctors are hesitant to abandon Paps altogether, since the procedure has been incredibly effective at reducing rates of cervical cancer. The new test could be most helpful in lower-income countries, where there are fewer doctors trained to read Pap smears and it's more difficult for women to return for followup appointments. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would welcome a less invasive test; what do you think?

Source

What Do You Know About the Pap Smear?

DearSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:00:00 PST

I'm sure going for your annual exam at the gynecologist isn't top on your list. I don't mind the breast examination, but spreading eagle for that lovely Pap smear pretty much bites it. I usually just close my eyes and wish for it to be over without really caring too much about what the doc is doing down there.

Knowing that those check-ups keep me healthy makes it a little more bearable, but knowing more about the Pap would make it even easier. Take this quiz to see what you know.

Source

Take the Quiz

A Test That's Better Than the Pap?

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:00:00 PDT

Women have been getting Pap tests for over 60 years to test for cervical cancer. Now two studies show that the test that detects HPV, a virus that can cause certain types of cervical cancer, may be far more effective at catching malignancies.

One of the studies tested more than 10,000 women between the ages of 30 and 69. The HPV test detected 94.6% of the abnormal growths that lead to cervical cancer, while the Pap test only found 55.4%. If both tests were used together, 100% of the growths were found.

The HPV test still requires a sample of your cervical cells (yes, they use the stirrups and the speculum), but if your doctor recommends getting both tests, she can do them both at the same time.

The only thing about this HPV test is that it has a slightly higher rate of false positive readings, and it's not as effective in younger women. I also found that the HPV test isn't always covered by health insurance, so if you want the test, you may end up paying for it yourself.

Right now, using this HPV test as the primary screening tool instead of the Pap test is not FDA approved. Who knows though? Down the road the Pap test may be replaced by the HPV test, and because it's so effective, it may only need to be performed every 3-5 years. This is great news for those of us who despise our annual exams.

Fit's Tips: Gardasil is a vaccine used to prevent certain types of HPV. Sexually active women who are not in a monogamous relationship may want to think about getting the vaccine, although it should be noted that it doesn't prevent all types of cervical cancer, so gyno visits are still necessary.

Source

Going to the Gyno - Which is Worse?

FitSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 07:30:00 PDT

As women, we all have to go for our yearly visit to the gynecologist. It's no fun, but we know it's good for us. Somehow talking about how much it sucks makes me feel better, so I want to know, when you go for your annual gynecologist appointment...

Group Therapy: Does a Pap Smear Hurt If You're a Virgin?

Tres Community — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:05:00 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I'm 17 and looking to get birth control. According to my doctor, I need to get a pap smear/vaginal exam before I can get a prescription. Now, I'm kind of inclined to worry, and I hate doctor appointments to begin with, so I would be worried about a pap smear anyway. Except there's one thing that really worries me: I'm still a virgin. (In fact, the bc is to regulate my period. I have no intention of becoming sexually active for awhile.) Apparently when they do pap smears they check your uterus - I have a feeling that the whole breaking my hymen with a metal speculum is going to hurt. (Just a feeling, of course . . . ) Does anyone have any advice/wisdom/warnings to calm my nerves before the dreaded exam?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Medical Groups Disagree on HPV vs. Pap Tests For Cervical Cancer Prevention

Tara Sharp — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:05:00 PDT

Today several medical groups have released proposals on cervical cancer prevention, and while they agree on the current guidelines that recommend women 21 to 29 get Pap tests every three years instead of yearly, they disagree on HPV screenings.

The US Preventative Services Task Force says that women under 30 should not be using HPV tests alone or in combination with a Pap to screen for cervical cancer. Even though the HPV virus can lead to cervical cancer, in younger women it usually clears out on its own. And the government-run task force notes that "screening for HPV causes more false positive cancer results than the Pap smear alone."

While the task force isn't for HPV testing, the guidelines issued by the American Cancer Society, the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and the American Society for Clinical Pathology say routine HPV tests should be an option along with Pap tests.

"The main difference is that, dating back to 2002, the American Cancer Society and several other organizations recommended that HPV testing, along with the Pap test, is a good option for screening women starting at age 30," says Debbie Saslow, the American Cancer Society's director of breast and gynecologic cancer.

Luckily, the groups are taking public comment before coming together with a final set of consistent guidelines in the next couple months. Let's hope they are less confusing than these initial proposals!

What do you think about the every-three-year Pap for cervical cancer? (Not to be confused with a yearly breast and pelvic checkup.) Doctors have and continue to push the yearly Pap, sometimes making it mandatory before getting a yearly birth control prescription. But whether it's gyno-suggested or not, are you still getting a yearly Pap test, or do you spread it out over every few years like the new recommendations say?