“The ACS guidelines have changed from getting a Pap+HPV testing every 3 years to solely getting HPV testing every FIVE years. Thankfully, their guidelines aren’t the ones that decide this for everyone yet. As a nurse who works at a cancer center, let me tell you, I asked my coworkers about this and not a single nurse thought this was a beneficial change. Three big reasons why:
- Its true that majority of cervical cancers are caused by certain HPV infections but not ALL cervical cancers. Phasing out cotesting (Pap smear+HPV) is intentionally missing the people at risk of cervical cancer not from HPV. Screening with the cotest identified 70% of the cancers missed by HPV alone! Cotest also helps catch false negative results.
- 5 years is a very long time. Cervical cancer was the #1 cancer killer of women prior to the invention of the Pap test and now its #15. Every 2hrs 1 woman dies of cervical cancer. Yet they want women to get tested less because it’s cost-effective? Think about that. Money over lives? Doesn’t sound right.
- The HPV test is not readily available everywhere. Access is just as important as the quality of the product. Women’s health already is lacking in many ways and this will only make it harder for women to take ownership of their wellness and health
- Solid tumors like cervical cancer are often caught too late because people forget about preventative measures like screening.”
