Declining rates of cervical cancer screening over the past decade are bringing clinical practice more in line with current guidelines; however, many women who’ve undergone hysterectomy are being screened unnecessarily, according to articles in MMWR.

A CDC analysis of young women‘s Papanicolaou screening histories based on telephone interviews found that in the 18–21 age group (a group not recommended to undergo screening) the proportion reporting never having undergone screening rose from 26% to 48% between 2000 and 2010. However, in the 22–30 group (which should undergo screening every 3 years) the proportion reporting never being screened rose from 6.6% to 9.0% over the decade.

A similar study among women aged 30 and older found a similar trend toward guideline goals. The exceptions were the estimated 20 million women who had undergone hysterectomy for benign causes but who nonetheless underwent unneeded screening over the course of the decade.

Source: MMWR