Health Alert: Pap Smear Guidelines For Young Women

(Savannah) A dramatic drop in Cervical Cancer cases is one part of the equation.  Also, cervical cancer cells grow so slowly the group thinks that women can wait until they’re 21 to have their first exam.  The guidelines also say women 30 and older should wait three years between paps once they’ve had 3 consecutive clear tests.  Women with HIV, other immune-weakening conditions or previous cervical abnormalities may need more frequent screening.
As opposed to the breast cancer recommendations earlier this week, The American Cancer Society agrees with this change.  But Savannah OB/GYN Dr. Glen Scarbrough doesn’t.  “We’ve done an awful lot of good for women’s health care in this country.  One of the things I pride myself in is being able to tell patients that as long as they come in for annual screening and for pap screening in particular I can guarantee them that they are not going to develop cervical cancer.“  But with the new recommendations Dr. Scarbrough tells News 3 he’s not sure he can guarantee that.  That’s why he stands by exams beginning at age 19.  “I’m going to encourage my patients to come in annually, and in certain cases we may agree on increasing the interval between pap screening.“
Dr. Scarbrough also told me that he’s concerned about the motive behind the recommendation to decrease the screening.