The guideline does not apply to Pap smear screening for cervical cancer, which should be done every three to five years, depending on a woman’s age. And it’s sure to be controversial — the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists remains in favor of an annual exam. American College of Physicians members are internists, specialists in the care of adults.
“There just wasn’t evidence that [routine pelvic examination] was beneficial,” says Humphrey. The review found that pelvic exams rarely detected ovarian cancer or bacterial infection and did not reduce mortality. Yet they add $2.6 billion in “unnecessary costs to the health care system,” according to the journal article.
The review also found potential harms, although the evidence was weak. These harms include embarrassment, fear, anxiety, pain and discomfort. Those were “magnified in women who had a history of sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder or in overweight women,” says Humphrey.
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