CINCINNATI -- In less than a week the guidelines for two major women's health tests have changed.
On Friday the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that women begin getting Pap Screens at 21-years-old instead of 18.
This comes right on the heels of the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommendation that women begin receiving regular mammograms at the age of 50 rather than 40.
Niranjana Parthasarathi, M.D., an Internist at the University of Cincinnati, read the data that the task force considered.
"The data does certainly support that there's not a clear mortality benefit for people in their forties. So, I do believe it [the new recommendation] is scientifically based," said Parthasarathi.
There is also a cost component to the decision which also makes sense she says.
"I think the bigger concern is about the fact that there are a large number of false positives or abnormal results obtained in women in their forties that then cause a lot of unnecessary anxiety and unnecessary biopsies," Parthasarathi continued.
Unnecessary biopsies she argues drives up costs.
The American Cancer Society disagrees with the task force.
"They made their recommendations based on data that the ACS reviewed back in about 2003," said Peter Osborne, a spokesperson for the ACS.
"We respect the work that they did, but we are going to keep our guidelines the same saying that women should get mammograms in their forties because we feel it is still a useful tool that can save lives," Osborne continued.
The American Cancer Society is, however, looking at changing their guidelines to match those of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists when it comes to Pap Screens.
But as most experts agree, a woman should consult with her doctor if she has any concerns.
