And what he feared might happen has happened: More women are skipping their yearly gynecologic exams as well.
That is not what ACOG recommended - and neither does the staff of Washington Ob/Gyn Associates.
Gynecologists focus on preventive health maintenance, Mitsos said, and during a routine gynecologic exam, they traditionally examine the ovaries, reproductive organs, vaginal area and breasts, and they discuss menopause with their patients.
"Scraping the cervix with a brush is a very small part of what we do. There's more to an exam than just that," said Mitsos, who is on staff at Washington Ob/Gyn.
ACOG recommended that Pap smear testing begin at age 21, and that between 21 and 29, Pap tests be performed every two years. Between 30 and 65, Pap smears are recommended every three years if previous tests have been normal.
"We have been following this protocol for a year," Mitsos said. "People hear what they want to hear. Maybe I'll have to talk like Regis Philbin: 'Here's what I'm saying.'"
Mitsos said the new guidelines for Pap tests are analagous to a colonoscopy.
"If you have had clean Paps, you're at low risk for developing cervical cancer," he said. "You don't get a colonscopy every year."
However, Washington Ob/Gyn recommends that women who have had a prior high-grade Pap smear, or treatment for a high-grade Pap smear, continue to receive an annual Pap test.
A Pap smear involves taking a sample of cells from a woman's cervix and testing them for precancerous cell changes and small tumors that may lead to cervical cancer. If caught early, Mitsos said, the chances of curing cervical cancer are very high.
Cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease, and is more common among younger women. Young women, Mitsos said, tend to have more sexual partners, which raises the risk of developing HPV.
In the past, it was recommended that women have Pap smears yearly, starting within two years of their first sexual activity. Washington Ob/Gyn Associates recommends young women schedule a gynecologic exam as soon as they become sexually active.
