Study: Women uncomfortable forgoing annual Pap tests

Although new health guidelines in the United States and Canada call for less frequent cervical cancer screenings for women with a history of normal Pap tests, most women are uncomfortable not receiving the test annually, according to a study by researchers at Michigan State University. The new guidelines say women who've had three consecutive normal Pap tests need only be retested every three years instead of annually. But interviews with eight groups of women showed that most of the women strongly believe regular Pap tests are an important part of their annual checkups and are uncomfortable with the idea of taking the test less frequently. Resistance to triennial Pap tests was based on worries of the accuracy of the tests and a fear of rapid cervical cancer progression. The study appeared in the November-December issue of Annals of Family Medicine.