Med Mal News

On March 15, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) released new guidelines for cervical cancer screenings, challenging the long-held belief that women should undergo a Pap test every year. The new guidelines recommend no screenings until a woman reaches the age of 21, then tests every three years until age 65. For women between 30 and 65 years old, the frequency can be diminished to every five years, if a human papillomavirus (HPV) screening is done in conjunction with the Pap smear test. Women over 65 need not be tested at all, so long as they have had adequate screenings prior to age 65. These new recommendations do not apply to women who have received a diagnosis of a high-grade precancerous cervical lesion or cervical cancer, women with in-utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol, or women whose immune systems are compromised.