Daily Iowan

Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: Metro

In this do-it-yourself age, one service that could become widely available is self-administered Pap-smear kits - but some local officials question the safety and effectiveness of the take-home method.

Researchers from VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam have found that an estimated 28 percent of women in the Netherlands did not respond to or chose not to participate in cervical screenings.

So researchers mailed 2,546 women who chose not to be tested kits to test themselves for cervical cancer, and they found that the number of women who participated significantly increased - 34.2 percent versus 17.6 percent. If all women in the Netherlands were sent a test, roughly 100 cases of cervical cancers could be prevented via early detection, according to the study.

Although the kit appears effective, Margaret Weiss, the director of marketing and communication for Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, said she and her staff are skeptical.

"We hope if such a procedure became available in the U.S., women would still come in to their gynecologist and get examined," Weiss said. "Cervical-cancer testing is something that really requires qualified medical attention."

An estimated 11,150 cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 2007, and 3,670 cases will be fatal, according to the American Cancer Society.

UI gynecologist Ann Laros said in an e-mail that if the test is valid and increases compliance with the recommendations for regular Pap-smear screening, it has potential.

And screening is the key. According to the American Cancer Society, the number of deaths due to cervical cancer decreased by 74 percent from 1992 to 1995 thanks to increased administering of Pap tests.

Because the home test is not yet available in the United States, Laros emphasized that certain steps need to be taken to ensure the safety of the kit.

"Where to follow up abnormal test results and how to get it all paid for are other big issues," she said, adding that the test would also have to be well-validated and the lab regularly accredited.

The test is administered in minutes, and researchers have found it to be 96 percent effective. Once women have collected vaginal samples with a cotton swab, samples are then sent to the lab for testing. Researchers said the cost of the self-administered test is the same as if a gynecologist performed it.

Karen Kubby, the executive director of the Emma Goldman Clinic, 227 N. Dubuque St., said the philosophy of women having more options to perform self-care is a good thing in theory, but it won't be as effective as an actual visit to the gynecologist.

"Women aren't going to be able to perform their own pelvis and breast exams," she said. "And that's an important part of visiting the gynecologist."

Encouraging women to visit the gynecologist should be learned at a young age, Kubby said, adding it is vital that first experiences are positive.

"A physician who is friendly and makes patients feel comfortable makes all the difference in the world," she said.

E-mail DI reporter Brittney Berget at:
brittney-berget@uiowa.edu

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