How is it that in 2014 the only option to detect cervical cancer is by having a smear?
Posted , 11 users are following.
I have not had one for years as it is so painful and humiliating. The nurses at my GP's arent very patient or reassuring and all they can say is "relax". How is it possible to relax when is stranger is forcing something into your vagina? Its like legalised assault. I got a bee in my bonnet on the matter and found an article by a female GP about the CSA test, I also found this:
There's a new blood test - it's called the CSA Test (Cervical Specific Antigen) - it was patented in around 2004 - unlike the unreliable pap smear - this simple blood test is almost 100% accurate..
So if it was patented in 2004 why is it not available? Men would not enjoy having a trowel shoved into their rectums so why do women have to suffer such pain and humiliation?
3 likes, 101 replies
eliz52 The_Next_Mrs_D
Posted
Those HPV- and no longer sexually active or confidently monogamous might choose to stop all futher testing, others might decide to self-test for HPV again, to guard against a new infection, but no more than 5 times in total - this is the new Dutch program, 5 HPV primary tests or self-test at ages 30,35,40,50 and 60 and a 5 yearly pap test will only be offered to the roughly 5% who are HPV+
It's so cruel that women are pressured into population pap testing, when almost all are not even at risk of cc. The pap test can be very painful for post menopausal women, yet very few women are offered HPV self-testing...why?
So many of the negatives with cervical screening could be easily avoided with evidence based screening, self-testing, and some respect for informed consent.
We'd save more lives too, but we'll continue with population pap testing until sufficient numbers of women demand something better or seek out something better...too much money is made from population pap testing and the excess biopsies and over-treatment it generates, it's a goldmine for vested interests.
When you think of the level of harm and worry caused by population pap testing and remember this cancer was always rare....heads should roll. There was never a need to distress, worry and harm so many women.
finnuala82216 eliz52
Posted
eliz52 finnuala82216
Posted
It makes me happy when this information enables a woman to make an informed decision about testing. I've always believed the best decisions are informed decisions.
Change has been painfully slow, but I think we're reaching an interesting period, with more informed women about, screening rates falling...these programs must be worried, very worried. They've only managed to get away with their outrageous conduct because women were subjected to a campaign of misinformation and various tactics were used to pressure and force women into testing. It's dangerous to treat informed women in that way. I suspect that's why my GP does not mention pap testing or breast screening to me, she knows that I KNOW the evidence and have made informed decisions. That's what I hope for...that every woman is provided with real and balanced information and the decision to screen or not is entirely her decision...forget targets, stop target payments to GPs, opportunistic screening, disrespectful and misleading "awareness" campaigns etc. It should be unnecessary to say it, but start treating women like independent and competent adults with legal rights. I still find it hard to believe that the medical profession and others thought this was an appropriate way to treat women...those attitudes need to be addressed as well and IMO, that starts with every woman demanding some respect for her legal rights and her bodily autonomy, no one has the right to make screening decisions for us or accept risk on our behalf, our bodies are not public property.
Nice to meet you...