| November 2005 · Vol. 17, No. 11 LETTERS
Most women don’t need annual visits
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Fast Track
“There is a danger that some screenings with proven value may not be done if the ObGyn doesn’t do them”
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In his September 2005 article, “How to keep the annual visit annual,” Dr. Mark S. DeFrancesco cites the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines for preventive care and concludes that the annual exam is still advised even if Pap smears are done every 3 years. I applaud him for using the USPSTF guidelines, but I draw a very different conclusion from them: Annual preventive visits for most patients cannot be recommended.
Many low-risk women still undergo annual exams and tests such as a complete blood count and glucose and cholesterol measurement; periodic thyroid testing; periodic bone densitometry starting at age 50; and in-office fecal occult blood testing. The USPSTF does recommend cholesterol testing starting at age 45 and bone densitometry starting at 65 for low-risk patients, but not these other tests.
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