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[–]Comatoast 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

I know this was a joke, but now I'm concerned for different reasons.

Why did they increase the amount of time in between screenings like that? I remember paps being part of a yearly screening, and with something that can progress as quickly as cancer I can't understand increasing the amount of time between paps to 5 years.

Also, I recall there being a ton of shit wrong with the gardasil vaccine (possibly causing narcolepsy in a ton of women, something about it not even being effective against the most commonly spread strains of HPV, etc.). Was I dreaming about that?

[–]Realwoman 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Time was increased because the majority of women overcome HPV on their own without any need for treatment and cervical cancer is very slowly growing. So annual screenings resulted in women being over treated when their bodies would have overcome the infection on their own. So if you have a normal pap smear test, you can wait for 3 more years before the next test and you'll be fine. If something is found the next time, it will still be pretty on the time to treat it. Also, for women over 30, they do an HPV test plus a pap smear and if they're both good, you can wait for 5 more years. It's based on data.

There was a lot anti vax propaganda about the vaccine.

[–]Comatoast 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I've never had an HPV test and I'm over 30. I wonder how new that is. I also wonder how many women will just skip going to the yearly visit for the regular pelvic exam/breast check altogether with this going into effect. I guess if you're on birth control you have to go to get the rx renewed, or that's the way it used to be here anyway.

[–]Realwoman 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Really? My doctor gave me an HPV test together with the pap smear as soon as I turned 30 and I was told no need for a a new one for 5 more years.

And I don't know that yearly exams are necessary.