Has the medical community become so complacent with the high percentage of Americans becoming infected with HPV (80 percent at some time in their lives) that they would introduce guidelines which delay a woman’s diagnosis thus maintaining the status quo of contagion or worse? Is the cost-effectiveness of delaying screening taking priority over the best interest of the patient in whom an early diagnosis is crucial? It certainly does appear that way.
And what about the psychological effects on women including the guilt of knowing that they have exposed their partners? When the medical community fails to treat the patient as a whole - physically and psychologically - and when cost-effectiveness takes priority, we have indeed begun the a journey down a very slippery slope.
Sources:
Cervical Cytology Screening: The Impact of the New ACOG Guidelines.
Center for Health Training.org. Retrieved August 7, 2011 from
http://www.centerforhealthtraining.org/calendar/onlinetrainings/document...
Changes in the 2010 STD Treatment Guidelines: What Adolescent Health Care Providers Should Know. (n.d.).American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Retrieved August 7, 2011, from http://www.acog.org/departments/dept_notice.cfm?recno=7&bulletin=5545
First Cervical Cancer Screening Delayed Until Age 2, Less Frequent Pap Tests Recommended. For Release: November 20, 2009. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
Retrieved August 7, 2011 from http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr11-20-09.cfm
Reviewed August 8, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg R.N.
Edited by Jody Smith
Add a Comment2 Comments
I agree that governments need to put more effort into a public campaign against HPV just as they did with the AIDS virus. It would be more credible if you posted as a representative for your site rather than anonymous. People who are unwilling to acknowledge who they are leave the content of their posts significantly in question. Something to consider.
August 9, 2011 - 2:02pmThis Comment
I have HPV and I am an engineer who works for the largest STD dating and support site STDslove. com. I have to tell you a secret, you can choose not to believe me. But the truth is that this site has more than 1,880,000 members and about 80% members are good looking in my estimation.
Unfortunately, STD rates soar worldwide and most people with STDs don't even know that they have them. The government should grant more money for STD education to lower the rates of STD transmission.
August 9, 2011 - 5:05am