Happy New Year! January is a great time to get our health in-check and start new habits. It’s also Cervical Health Awareness Month, a reminder to schedule a checkup with your gynecologist to be sure you are up to date on your cervical cancer testing Health Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about how women can protect themselves from HPV (human papillomavirus) and cervical cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year approximately 12,000 women in the United States get cervical cancer and over 4,000 women die from the disease. As many as 93% of cervical cancers cases could be prevented through cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination.
Each year, millions of women in the U.S. head to their gynecologist for an annual check-up. While it may not be the most pleasant experience in the world, most consider the prodding and mild discomfort of a routine pelvic exam to be an essential part of preventive health care. But now the American College of Physicians (ACP) is challenging the need for this practice, A new set of guidelines that recommends against annual pelvic exams for healthy, non-pregnant women.