Ladies, don't forget your sexual health

I know...no one wants to think about this, mention this, or talk about this, but it is really important, so I'm going to post it up anyway...just so that it's here...and that you are aware...the dreaded pap test...ouch...excerpted from Cosmopolitan

The New Pap Test Facts

...you probably get a Pap test every year at your annual gynecological checkup. That’s how often most gynos suggest you get this lifesaving test, which detects cell changes in your cervix that might indicate the presence of cervical cancer or precancerous lesions brought on by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

There are now new guidelines concerning both who should have a Pap test and how often they should do it.

New Pap Rule 1: A woman should begin getting a yearly Pap test at age 21, no matter how long she’s been sexually active.

Ninety percent of the time, precancerous or merely suspicious cell changes or growths detected by a Pap test in a woman under 21 go away on their own with absolutely no treatment, research shows. And those that don’t tend to be very slow-growing — it can take 10, even 20, years for cell changes to become full-blown cancer, if ever — so if they’re caught when you’re 21 you’re still in good shape. Because of this, the new guideline was put in place to spare young women from unnecessary procedures

New Pap Rule 2: If you’re over 30 and have had three negative Pap results three years in a row, you can wait three years between tests.

Again, it has to do with how slow-growing cervical cancer is, so a Pap test done every three years will still catch cancer or precancer at an early enough stage so that it can be cured. And since women who have hit the big 3-0 are more likely to be monogamous in a LTR, they’re collectively at a lower risk of developing cervical cancer or precancerous changes from a new partner.

However, if you’re over 30 and have had a new partner since your last Pap, many gynos say you should still be tested at your next gyno exam, even if you’ve always had negative Pap results. Also, if you have any reason to think your partner hasn’t been monogamous, consider getting a yearly Pap too.

And speaking of your annual exam, these new guidelines aren’t a license to blow it off; all women still need this crucial visit to get checked for STDs like chlamydia and have internal organs looked at, among other reasons.