Improving Paps with questions, technology
Improving Paps with questions, technology
Pap smears are becoming more and more successful, especially with the advent of new FDA-approved technologies, but staying informed of the test and its growing intricacies should always be top priority for patients. Awareness is the subject of the August issue of Glamour’s "Your Pap Smear: A Save Your Life Guide."
The article provides eight tips to ensure the accuracy of the recommended once-a-year test. It calls for patients to take a more active role with their Pap smears, such as asking questions to make sure they understand and approve of the clinical and technical procedures, their options, and their results. Volunteering information about themselves is also recommended to ensure a sense of security and the quality of the Pap smear.
New tests cost more
Three advances in Pap Smear technology recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are discussed in the article. ThinPrep (by Cytyc Corp., Boxborough, MA) is a slide preparation procedure that evens out and cleans a cell culture and may even be effective in diagnosing other STDs. (For information on ThinPrep, see Women’s Health Center Manage-ment, February 1997, p. 26.) The technology costs about twice as much ($50) as a regular Pap smear, however.
PapNet (by Neuromedical Systems, Suffern, NY) and AutoPap (by NeoPath, Redmond, WA) are computerized devices. Slightly more effective in reducing "false negative" errors, they add $20 to $40 to the cost of a regular Pap smear. (For more on Pap smear technologies, see WHCM, December 1996, pp. 144-146.) Although the technology may assist diagnosis, the article says it should always be adjunct to a qualified technician’s analysis.
In an article in August’s Health magazine, "Truth, Beauty, and Skin Cancer," Australians show that myths about sunscreen can burn you. With the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, Queensland, Australia, has been the subject of extensive research on sun protection. "Slip! Slop! Slap!" is the Australian campaign to promote skin cancer precautions: "slip" on a shirt, "slop" on sunblock, and "slap" on a hat a far more extensive defense than the typical American employs.
Americans’ reliance on sunscreen as an absolute defense may be exacerbating photoaging, carcinoma, and melanoma and creating a false sense of security. One million Americans are newly diagnosed with skin cancer each year, and Australian researchers say sunscreen is doing little to help. The best defense is simple: Avoid direct exposure with clothes, hats, and shade. Use sunscreen as a last resort rather than a first line of defense.
Women looking for back pain relief may find a few recommendations in the August Redbook: "How to Finally Get Rid of Back Pain." Back pain is not uncommon and is usually the result of innocuous muscle spasms and strains. Women are its frequent victims due to carrying their children around both during pregnancy and afterward. Heavy objects, bags, and high heels are other common causes. Because the majority of back pain does not indicate a serious problem, doctors are prone to provide "nonspecific diagnoses," which often prove unsatisfactory for the very specifically afflicted patient. The article suggests a few more reassuring measures of relief, most importantly "the ol’ R&R": rest and relaxation. Over-the-counter pain relievers can be as effective as prescription painkillers and muscle relaxants, the article maintains. Ice, stretching (examples include lunges and "pretzel"), and professional "manipulation," such as massage or acupuncture, also can be employed. However, if the pain does not subsist within four weeks, the article recommends seeing a doctor immediately. Severe, complex, or chronic back pain, possibly resulting from herniated disks or spinal injuries, necessitates more serious inquiry and care.
Anti-aging medications are growing more popular than ever in the struggle for perpetual youth, but which ones are more than just "snake oil?" As it turns out, most of these miracle drugs are themselves still very young, and professionally unproven; thus, their value, efficacy, and safety remains suspect. The money and wishes you throw into Ponce de Leon’s fountain may only be going to waste. This is the subject of "Can You Buy Youth in a Bottle?" in the August issue of Good Housekeeping. Much attention has been paid to hormone supplements, for instance. Ginseng, promoted to boost energy and reduce stress, is another unproven myth. But overall, without the support of health professionals, anti-aging supplements and synthetic counterparts should be avoided until evidence can support the sensational claims, the article maintains. ß
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