New Study Calls for Fewer Pap Smears
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Women who have had hysterectomies for some reason other than cancer don’t need Pap smears anymore, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found. Pap smears are used to check for signs of cancer, primarily in the cervix but also in the uterus or vagina. But in hysterectomies, the uterus and cervix are removed, and vaginal cancer is extremely rare and can be detected visually. The proposed change could save hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
