do you get a pap smear every 12 months?

[babygrant]

I am just wondering if you all get a pap smear every 12 months like recommended? I just went today, and I really wonder how necessary it is. I've never had an abnormal pap, breast exam etc, but still go every year for a full physical. Do you get it done?

[Yemaya1]

nope, I dont do the whole doctor thing. Unless its an emergency or something I cant fix myself. I get tired of their lies and make believe diseaes.

[Amylcd]

I do

[Starr]

I do

[the_lissa]

Here, the recommendation is every 3 years if you have a history of normal paps.

[ChrisCountryGirl]

I had a pap smear done for the 1st time a little over a year ago. I will NEVER get another pap smear again. I was VERY nervous and uncomfortable as the doctor was giving me a pap smear. The worst part of it was, as I was leaving the doctor's office, I fainted probably because I was so nervous about it. Even if it may save my life, I refuse to get one.

[PajamaMama]

I got a pap every year for 15 years. I never had an abnormal year. I skipped last year and got one this year (March). Now next week I am going to have my second surgery to remove my cervical carcinoma, because the surgeon didn't get it all when I had surgery a few weeks ago.

Why would you not go? Granted, the chance of having what happened to me, happen to YOU, is not great...but chances don't mean very much when it *IS* you.

[mama_b]

Nope. I don't go to the doctor unless something is wrong.

[PajamaMama]

Originally Posted by Yemaya1

nope, I dont do the whole doctor thing. Unless its an emergency or something I cant fix myself. I get tired of their lies and make believe diseaes.

You can't fix CANCER yourself. And I've never heard of a make believe carcinoma.

[~member~]

Originally Posted by PajamaMama

You can't fix CANCER yourself.

I did. More than once.

There are Medicines that have been around thousands of years before Western Medicine.

I am just wondering if you all get a pap smear every 12 months like recommended? I just went today, and I really wonder how necessary it is. I've never had an abnormal pap, breast exam etc, but still go every year for a full physical. Do you get it done?

No. There are safer ways of checking for cervical cancer. Self breast exams will catch lumps sooner than a stranger who has never felt your breast before.

[~member~]

Originally Posted by PajamaMama

I got a pap every year for 15 years. I never had an abnormal year. I skipped last year and got one this year (March). Now next week I am going to have my second surgery to remove my cervical carcinoma, because the surgeon didn't get it all when I had surgery a few weeks ago.

Why would you not go? Granted, the chance of having what happened to me, happen to YOU, is not great...but chances don't mean very much when it *IS* you.

How do you know the PapSmear did not cause the problem? Many are not accurate and actually cause damage to the cervix. How do you know your surgeon is not removing scar tissue that was caused by frequent pap smears?

[emcare]

I do.

Except for one year after I moved out of my parents house and didn't have insurance anymore. Well, the next time I went, it had been about two and a half years and, whadaya know, I have my first abnormal pap ever. I ended up with a couple biopsies and a pretty serious conization of my cervix to cut out all of the pre-cancerous cells. I was only 21 and it could come back, so I see paps as a really important part of keeping myself healthy.

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by MamaInTheBoonies

No. There are safer ways of checking for cervical cancer. Self breast exams will catch lumps sooner than a stranger who has never felt your breast before.

Would you care to share these safer ways of checking for a cancer present on a microscopic level?

Also, SBE isn't being recommended any more as most women find their lumps through daily life, not SBE.

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by the_lissa

Here, the recommendation is every 3 years if you have a history of normal paps.

Yes, this is the new ACOG and USPHTC recommendation. LOVE IT! I don't mind paps, but what a PITA to have to go in every year.

[momto l&a]

I haven't had one for about 10 years.

I only go to a Dr for emergencies

[Danelle78]

Every Year.

Had one abnormal pap which resulted in my cervix been 'snowballed'. My ob/gyn has a dry sense of humor. I love it.


editted to add: i love my gyn's humor not getting the pap.

[~member~]

Originally Posted by maxmama

Would you care to share these safer ways of checking for a cancer present on a microscopic level?

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/news/c...urine_test.htm

Cervical cancer may be detected through urine test

Originally Posted by maxmama

Also, SBE isn't being recommended any more as most women find their lumps through daily life, not SBE.

Really? I had never heard that before.

[Attila the Honey]

I don't.

I only go to the doctor when there is a problem that I can't handle myself, which so far has been never (aside from pregnancy complications but don't even get me started on THAT).

[Amila]

I go every single year, and when I had some abnormal paps, I went every 6 months. I have come to DETEST doctors the more I read and research throughout my pregnancy, but skipping the pap is one thing I will NEVER do. Your HPV status can come and go throughout the years, so just because you had some normal paps doesn't mean that you don't have it. My mom contracted HPV when she was 18, had 25 years of normal paps, and then had pretty severe pre-cancerous lesions that had to be removed with a cone biopsy. And she never missed a year. Unless I was a virgin, I would not even risk going every 3 years. I don't think taking an hour out of your YEAR is too much of a sacrifice for a cancer that is SOOOOO preventable and treatable, if caught early. JMO. Also, I would certainly rather make a trip to the doc once a year than get the new HPV vaccine :

[maxmama]

Originally Posted by MamaInTheBoonies

Really? I had never heard that before.

New recommendations from some research over the last few years. It's not ACOG standard yet, but is expected to be. It makes sense; SBE is damn hard to do correctly/consistently and it's not been shown to yield any more new diagnoses than the normal breast/hand contact of daily life. But I guess if someone isn't a breast handler (for want of a better word), maybe it would be a reminder, or encourage them to do so.