Doctors' group says healthy women don't need regular pelvic exams


The American College of Physicians said on Monday that healthy women who do not have any symptoms of disease and are not pregnant can skip regular pelvic exams.
The organization, which looked at studies conducted between 1946 and 2014, believes that the annual exams could actually do more harm than good, CBS News reports. Studies have shown that the bimanual exam does not detect ovarian cancer like it was previously thought, and may actually increase false positives that can lead to unnecessary extra tests and procedures.
"The pelvic examination has held a prominent place in women's health for many decades, and has become more of a ritual than an evidence-based practice," wrote Dr. George F. Sawaya, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco. "Regardless of whether the American College of Physicians' recommendation changes practice among obstetrician-gynecologists, it should prompt champions of this examination to clarify its goals and quantify its benefits and harms."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
If a woman is having symptoms like discharge, bleeding, and pain, the ACP still recommends that she get a pelvic exam. Some doctors say they will continue to give full exams, regardless of the new guidelines.
"For me, I'm a gynecologist, so I've examined thousands of women," Dr. Taraneh Shirazian of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City told CBS News. "I've picked up very early findings in my patients, early fibroids, early cysts. Some of the patients were asymptomatic, some of the patients did have symptoms but didn't realize that those symptoms were linked with their uterus or ovaries."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
5 cracking cartoons about the new Cracker Barrel logo
Cartoons Artists take on MAGA designs, real issues, and more
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.
The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage rate
the explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreak
Speed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agency
Speed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC