CDC Report that 22 Million Women May Have Undergone Unnecessary Cervical Cancer Screening Provokes Discussion

What's Going On With Cervical Cancer Screening In US?  by Zosia Chusiecka.  Medscape Medical News.  January 4, 2012.

The CDC report that 22 million women may have undergone unnecessary cervical cancer screening has provoked a discussion of the data itself.  There is evidence that women of all ages are not fully cognizant of what a Pap test is, confusing any pelvic examination with the test therefore an over-reporting.  Since the CDC data was based upon self-reporting this confusion could be crucial.  Also CDC reports that women have received PAP tests after hysterectomy, a procedure specifically discouraged in the guidelines of major organizations.  Also cited as a possible reason for excessive testing was confusion about what was needed to detect human papilloma virus.  The costs of unnecessary testing could be substantial.