6 common myths about Pap smets that may endanger you for cervical cancer

New York, March 2: The rate of timely cervical projections has been declining in both the United States and internationally – and this is a red flag. Cervical cancer often does not have symptoms until it has spread, significantly increasing the risk of death.

To understand this disturbing tendency, the Health Insurance Axis examined women in the UK and identified the most common misconceptions about cervical projections.

Pap smears do not test for cancer: over half of the surveyed women have wrongly believed that Pap smears are directly testing for cancer. In fact, the main purpose of a Pap smear is to detect abnormal changes of cells in the cervix – changes that, if caught early, can be treated before the development of cancer. These abnormal cells are often caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection that is usually cleared by itself, but can lead to cancer growth if it persists.

The projections of cervical cancer are not every 4 years: almost 1 in 4 participants thought that cervical cancer projections are needed every four years. However, women between the ages of 25 and 49 should actually be analyzed every three years, the period when cervical cancer is most likely to develop. According to Dr. Pallavi Bradshaw, deputy medical director at the Health Axis, “Testing every three years allows your health professional to detect and monitor any modification of the cervical cells.” For women between the ages of 50 and 64, projections should appear every five years.

If you test positively for HPV, wait for more frequent projections, often annually, to monitor any change in your cells.

You cannot be analyzed before 25: around 1 in 3 women I think they can request cervical screening before the age of 25. In general, this is not the case, because cervical cancer is rare in women under 25. Changes in cervical cells are common in this age group and usually solve alone. Early projections in this case could lead to unnecessary tracking tests or pursuit, which can cause side effects. However, early screening can be recommended for some women, including those with weakened immune systems, high risk sexual behaviors or abnormal symptoms such as pelvic pain.

Pap smears do not last long: the axis survey found that about 15% of women believed that Pap smears last 30 minutes. In reality, cervical projections are fast and usually only take a few minutes. “Cervical projections are fast procedures,” said Dr. Bradshaw.

Deputy smells are not as painful as you think: the most common reason why women avoid dreadful smells is fear of pain or discomfort. However, the procedure is not usually as painful as many believe. “Cervical projections should be painless procedures, with just a slight discomfort felt when the speculum is introduced,” explained Dr. Bradshaw. Most women only face discomfort only when the speculum stretches the vaginal walls. If any pain is felt, Dr. Bradshaw recommends informing the doctor immediately.

You still need screening if you are not sexually active: while 35% of women have correctly identified HPV as a sexually transmitted infection, 7% wrongly thought that if they were not sexually active, they would not need to be examined. Dr. Bradshaw has clarified that HPV can be spread through non-penetrative sex, skin contact with genital organs, objects or surfaces with the virus or even from the mother to the child. Therefore, it is essential for all women to participate in cervical projections regularly.

Once a major cause of cancer death in American women, cervical cancer rates have dropped by over 50% since the mid -1970s, largely because of HPV vaccine and ordinary projections, according to American Cancer Society (ACS).

While cervical cancer is extremely treatable if detected early, it often does not show symptoms until it has already progressed. This makes regular projections crucial, but recent studies show a decrease in the number of women who are aware of their projections. A 2022 study found that the percentage of delayed women for cervical projections increased from 14% to 19% between 2005 and 2019. This growth was due primarily to the lack of awareness of the importance of projections or I simply do not know when they program them.

ACS estimates that in 2025, about 13,360 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the US, and 4,320 women will die from the disease.