More than 1.4 million young women over a six-year period received pelvic exams or Pap smears they might not have needed, a new national study published in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine estimates — suggesting that doctors, young women and their parents should familiarize themselves with the most up-to-date guidelines and potential risks.
‘Many young women associate the examination with fear, anxiety, embarrassment, discomfort and pain.’ —Jin Qin, a CDC epidemiologist, a co-author of the study Among the sample of girls and women aged 15 to 20, 54% of pelvic exams they had received in the past year were “potentially unnecessary,” the study found, as were nearly 72% of Pap tests performed in the past year . Pap tests, which are used to screen for cervical cancer, generally aren’t recommended for women under 21.
The tests cost upwards of $123 million in a year, the researchers estimated, using 2014 Medicare payment data that specified $37.97 for a pelvic exam and $44.78 for a Pap smear. These potentially unneeded screenings can result in “false alarms, unnecessary treatment, and needless cost,” Qin told MarketWatch in an email.
The American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians advise against pelvic exams on women who aren’t pregnant and don’t have symptoms. After all, many professional organizations have revised their recommendations on these exams in recent years. Groups like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , the U.S.