New Pap Smear Guidelines
Lori, a patient of Dr.
Guy Schropp, an OB-Gyn specialist with Alegent Health Women's Healthcare, never
misses her annual trip to the doctor. But she could, according to new
guidelines.
Dr. Schropp, explains, "If we have a number of normal pap smears in a row, we can be fairly confident that we're going to get by for the a couple of years without seeing significant changes."
The American Cancer Society says women can have a pap smear every other year if they're over thirty and have had three normal pap smears in a row. But women who smoke, have multiple sexual partners, or are at risk for ovarian cancer should continue to get pap smears every year. Your doctor can tell you if you are at risk for ovarian cancer.
Dr. Schropp says it can take years for cervical cancer to develop, so skipping a pap smear should not put women who follow the guidelines at risk. But he says that every woman should still visit her doctor every year.
"We also take care of other problems," Dr. Schropp says. "We do breast exams, preventive medicine exams and pelvic exams to check the uterus and the ovaries."
But Lori says she'll keep pap smears in her yearly appointment, even though doctors say she doesn't have to.
