Teens’ Confused About Pap Smears and Pelvic Exam

A recent study has revealed that many teenage girls don’t know the difference between a Pap smear and a pelvic exam. This confusion could lead them to put off necessary gynecologic care.

Pap smears are performed as part of pelvic exams to test for early signs of cervical cancer. But pelvic exams are also necessary for detecting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and other gynecologic problems. According to the author, it is concerning that many young women might not understand the distinction because of new guidelines from the American Cancer Society (ACS) which state that women can delay their first Pap smear until a few years after becoming sexually active. This may lead young women to the conclusion that they don’t need any type of gynecological care during this time, study author Dr. Diane R. Blake said. ‘The Pap smear to them is the whole gynecological exam, so they’re thinking they don’t need gynecological care for a few years after having sex,’ she said.110 females, ages 14 to 24, and 44 mothers, were asked to define a Pap smear by choosing from a list of descriptions, in a survey by Blake and her colleagues. They were trying to determine if the respondents knew that a Pap smear is the same as a cervical cancer test, but not the same as a pelvic exam, pregnancy test or STD test. They found that only two percent of the young women understood these distinctions. Overall, 70 percent said they were sexually active. Recently the ACS issued the recommendation that young women do not need to have a Pap smear until a few years after they’ve become sexually active. The rationalisation is that doctors typically see so little cancer in this age group, said Blake. Cervical cancer is usually caused by particular strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV), and this sexually transmitted infection will often get better on its own. Blake said HPV infections that become cancerous typically do so when a teenager gets a little older, which is why the ACS made the recommendation to delay the initial pap smear. The concern is that the new guidelines may inadvertently cause young women to delay getting a pelvic exam. Researchers recommend increasing education about the meaning of Pap smear to ensure that sexually active young women do not mistakenly delay recommended gynecologic care and STD screening.(Source: Reuters Health)