tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003888037439840533.post3297533614557971936..comments2012-03-05T16:52:48.583+01:00Comments on Clouds moving in: Health issues - cervical screeningroughseasinthemedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362795583263821176noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003888037439840533.post-60529528005574364832011-08-05T11:36:16.428+02:002011-08-05T11:36:16.428+02:00I only just discovered your first comment - it was...I only just discovered your first comment - it was lurking in my spam folder, but very salient reading.roughseasinthemedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02362795583263821176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003888037439840533.post-20330846717826238812011-06-29T07:08:36.043+02:002011-06-29T07:08:36.043+02:00Thanks Eliz52 for the US perspective and your inte...Thanks Eliz52 for the US perspective and your interesting and well-written comment. I so wish women knew more about the screening programme and as you say, specifically about the need for informed consent.roughseasinthemedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02362795583263821176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003888037439840533.post-9402701015089015362011-06-29T03:44:18.186+02:002011-06-29T03:44:18.186+02:00I also disagree with the linking of birth control ...I also disagree with the linking of birth control to cancer screening - it's coercion and violates the legal and ethical requirement to obtain informed consent for screening. Our doctors no longer refuse women the Pill if they decline screening, but this was the practice up until 15 years ago. It still happens in the States - women routinely denied the Pill unless they agree to pap tests PLUS other unnecessary gyn exams like bimanual pelvic, recto-vaginal and breast exams.<br />Most of our doctors still use these consults to pressure women or they say, "you must have a pap test" so women are still being manipulated...<br />Some doctors even link screening to HRT or pre-natal care.<br />Anything to reach targets!Eliz52https://www.blogger.com/profile/08657584543518697641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6003888037439840533.post-41848272296697930962011-06-29T03:38:34.663+02:002011-06-29T03:38:34.663+02:00I just lost a long post...anyway, it's nice to...I just lost a long post...anyway, it's nice to read some comments by an informed woman.<br />I'm Australian and rejected screening, as a low risk woman, over 25 years ago.<br />We still screen young women KNOWING this is of no benefit, but causes great harm and distress.<br />"No country in the world has shown a reduction in the incidence of or the mortality from cervical cancer in women under 30, irrespective of cervical screening" (Comment made in Assoc Prof Davy's article) Yet all countries have evidence of harm from false positives and over-treatment, BUT, we keep testing, worrying and harming young women and even more than that, IMO, we're conducting unauthorized experiments on them. The screening age has not been raised (I suspect) because the Govt wishes to assess the effectiveness of Gardasil - an article appeared in the "Lancet" recently - yet no one asked young women whether this was acceptable to them.<br /><br />We also test 2 yearly - too often = more false positives - 77% if the lifetime risk of referral to possibly help fewer than 0.45% of women.<br />Our doctors also receive undisclosed target payments which means, conflict of interest.<br /><br />I also have a sinking feeling that most of this testing is unnecessary - if we tested women at 30 with the HPV blood test and it was negative - these women could forget about testing unless their risk profiles changed - of course, they're not given the option - doctors "assume her risk profile might change". (See: comments made by Assoc Prof Margaret Davy and Dr Shorne in, "Cervical cancer screening" in "Australian Doctor" 2006 - of course, the article is directed at other doctors, not women!) IMO, it is inappropriate for doctors to make assumptions about us or our partners or risk our health "just in case".<br />You might care to join the discussion on the Blogcritics site, "Unnecessary pap smears" - thousands of posts, many from women harmed and distressed by screening and over-treatment.<br /><br />Australia is considering a call and recall system which will give them greater control of women - the numbers testing are falling here and desperate measures are being considered to "capture" these "non-compliant" women.<br />IMO, this is one of the greatest abuses of our bodies, health and rights today. It shows paternalistic attitudes and the double standard are alive and well in medical circles. The same thing applies to breast screening. I'll never understand why it's acceptable to so many to mislead, pressure/coerce and harm women and call it cancer screening "for our own good"?<br />Thanks for some refreshing reading!Eliz52https://www.blogger.com/profile/08657584543518697641noreply@blogger.com