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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2013
CONTACT: Jennifer Miller, (608)
266-1683
Updated Guidelines Available for Cervical Cancer Screenings
Women at Low Risk May Not Need Yearly Test; February is
National Cancer Prevention Month
MADISON—For most women, having a Pap test has been part of a yearly
routine, but new guidelines from the United States Preventive Services
Task Force (USPSTF) now recommend that women be tested for cervical
cancer either every three years or every five years, depending on the
screening test performed.
"While women may be used to a more frequent schedule of Pap tests,
recent studies have shown that this new schedule is highly effective at
detecting cervical cancer early, while at the same time reducing the
number of false positive tests and decreasing the burden on the
patient," said Dr. Henry Anderson, State Health Officer. “Women who have
not been screened are encouraged to talk with their health care provider
about the cervical cancer screening schedule that is right for them."
Wisconsin health officials encourage women to know their risks for
cervical cancer and to get screened as appropriate. While women should
start getting regular Pap tests at age 21, the new guidelines state that
if that test is negative, and a woman is not in a high-risk group, she
need not be retested for three years. High-risk groups include women
infected with HIV or who have some other condition that weakens their
immune system, women exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) before birth,
and women who have previously been diagnosed with cervical cancer or who
have had certain findings on previous Pap tests.
Another test that can be used together with the Pap test to determine
a woman’s risk for cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV)
test. Infection with HPV has been shown to be the first step toward
developing cervical cancer. The HPV test is generally reserved for women
aged 30 and older. The USPSTF now says that if a Pap test and the test
for HPV are done at the same time, and both are negative, then a woman
doesn’t have to be retested for five years.
Cervical cancer is highly preventable because it usually takes a
number of years for abnormal cells to progress into cervical cancers.
Most women diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States have
either never had a Pap test, or have not had a Pap test in the last five
years.
The Wisconsin Well Woman Program (WWWP) provides cervical cancer
screening to low-income uninsured women aged 45-64. For more information
and to access the program in your area, visit
www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/womenshealth/wwwp.
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Last Revised:
April 18, 2013
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