The controversy of Pap Smears…
Dear Apprentice,
My doctor keeps telling me to get a pap smear but I’m a virgin. What’s his
business with all this. I thought cervical cancer is found only in
sexually active women? It’s annoying, why should I agree to do it?
Jemima
Hi Jemima,
Great Question! First of all please do not fault your doctor for pestering you about a pap smear, it is his job. So many patients give false information to their doctor out of shame or fear so it is our job to constantly remind patients of certain procedures. Let me share a quick story, when I was a medical student, My doctor who was training me had a 13 yr old girl who came in with abdominal pain. She claimed to be a virgin but when we went to examine her, she was actually in labor! She delivered her baby 10 minutes later. So as you can see your doctor is just trying to cover all his bases.
Back to your question…Cervical cancer is usually the end result of an HPV virus (a STD) infection and is one of the most preventable cancers around. It is easily detected with a pap smear…so should you get it? It depends; latest medical guidelines state that women should get pap smears 3 yrs after their first sexual encounter OR by the age of 21, BUT medicine also agrees that there is LITTLE TO NO REASON to do a pap smear on virgins. I hope these guidelines will help you make a decision.
Stay blessed
T
.
Women should have a pap smear once a year for two years. If both pap smears are normal, women may then have a pap smear every three years or as recommended by their physician.