[CHANDLERS WISH]

How can you trust a doctor that admits to "conning" you and treats you like a child? Don't you think that you can make your own decisions about your healthcare? If American women had the lowest hysterectomy rates and the longest life spans in the world I would say that these regualr tests are worthwhile but I don't see the the benefits of these exams. Btw I read an article in the wall street journal just the other week of a doctor coming out and saying exactly what the poster was saying: pelvic exams are not of any use or needed for birth control.

I have one answer.

If, I was told as a teenager, na, you don't need the pap smear, to get the pill, but hey you should have them, they will detect HPV, Cervical Cancer, STD's..be safe..

I would have said "to myself" nup, never having one then seeing as I don't need to..

And, my Cervical Cancer would never have been detected, until it was too late.....

So, If my Doctor, a Doctor feels that guiding people in a different way to get used to something that is good for you, can't hurt because they care for women, a person's life...then I say, it's a good thing.

CW

[Guest]

I can't believe the people attacking Eliz52 and others on here for SIMPLY STATING THEIR OPINION. Eliz52 has researched ACTUAL, REAL DOCTORS, who are legitimate, and have published papers on this research. All these people are saying is to check what is right for you, and make an informed choice. Go and google Dr. Angela Raffle and Dr. Joel Sherman before you start making uniformed claims about these doctors being radical quacks. You may be quite shocked. It is actually illegal to withhold birth control from a woman simply because said woman does not want a pelvic exam. I would never have ANY sort of treatment without thoroughly researching it first. And I don't mean by reading something on the internet or a trashy magazine. I would do what Eliz52 and others have done, I would research well respected doctors, specialists and professors, then weigh up my options, my personal beliefs and make my decision from there. I think it is very unfair that people on this site have attacked these people for stating their opinions and for giving advice, these people do not seem to have "an agenda", they are just trying to help.

[ItsASecret]

I can't believe the people attacking Eliz52 and others on here for SIMPLY STATING THEIR OPINION. Eliz52 has researched ACTUAL, REAL DOCTORS, who are legitimate, and have published papers on this research. All these people are saying is to check what is right for you, and make an informed choice. Go and google Dr. Angela Raffle and Dr. Joel Sherman before you start making uniformed claims about these doctors being radical quacks. You may be quite shocked. It is actually illegal to withhold birth control from a woman simply because said woman does not want a pelvic exam. I would never have ANY sort of treatment without thoroughly researching it first. And I don't mean by reading something on the internet or a trashy magazine. I would do what Eliz52 and others have done, I would research well respected doctors, specialists and professors, then weigh up my options, my personal beliefs and make my decision from there. I think it is very unfair that people on this site have attacked these people for stating their opinions and for giving advice, these people do not seem to have "an agenda", they are just trying to help.

People can go ahead and read anything they want and talk to any real professional they want. It is up to them to make a final decision. But do they have any idea what that professional just said about hormonal levels, metabolic pathways, or cancer progression on a subcellular level with a statistical twist? Not likely. And that is not their fault, not everyone understands it all and that is why people trust their doctors, their doctors have advanced degrees in higher education. If someone wants to take a bunch of blogs over their doctor that is fine, that person cannot be upset if they end up in the hospital from that alternative method though. Everyone has the right to say no to something based on their own opinion, but there is a point when a line is crossed in their own personal health for example a blog reading to actually believing Wikipedia makes them know everything about a subject to make an informed decision.

[nikk]

If, I was told as a teenager, na, you don't need the pap smear, to get the pill, but hey you should have them, they will detect HPV, Cervical Cancer, STD's..be safe..

Pap smears don't detect HPV,cervical cancer or STD's. They only detect precancer changes.
I suppose if you were a young woman in the 50's and 60's you would have taken DES and Thalidomide too if your doctor told you to. There was a doctor around in the 60's and 70's who performed lobotomies on children to make them more obediant. Would you have listened to his advice because he's been to medical school? History is full of examples of the medical establishment making huge f&ck ups. I am studying for a medical science degree and if there's one thing I have learnt is that you don't trust your doctor.

[ItsASecret]

I suppose if you were a young woman in the 50's and 60's you would have taken DES and Thalidomide too if your doctor told you to. There was a doctor around in the 60's and 70's who performed lobotomies on children to make them more obediant. Would you have listened to his advice because he's been to medical school?

At the time they worked, hence people trusting doctors. Because they did not have a time machine to go into the future to determine that things like Thalidomide resulted in deformities in babies they trusted things like that worked because they did, just not in pregnant mothers. The average person does not have a M.D, BSc, MSc, or PhD in a medical science related field behind their name so they do not understand what is going on even if they talk to a professional. That trust has to be there.

I am studying for a medical science degree and if there's one thing I have learnt is that you don't trust your doctor.

Why study it if you do not trust doctors?

[CHANDLERS WISH]

I can't believe the people attacking Eliz52 and others on here for SIMPLY STATING THEIR OPINION. Eliz52 has researched ACTUAL, REAL DOCTORS, who are legitimate, and have published papers on this research. All these people are saying is to check what is right for you, and make an informed choice. Go and google Dr. Angela Raffle and Dr. Joel Sherman before you start making uniformed claims about these doctors being radical quacks. You may be quite shocked. It is actually illegal to withhold birth control from a woman simply because said woman does not want a pelvic exam. I would never have ANY sort of treatment without thoroughly researching it first. And I don't mean by reading something on the internet or a trashy magazine. I would do what Eliz52 and others have done, I would research well respected doctors, specialists and professors, then weigh up my options, my personal beliefs and make my decision from there. I think it is very unfair that people on this site have attacked these people for stating their opinions and for giving advice, these people do not seem to have "an agenda", they are just trying to help.

Eliz wrote

I'm still reading up on the risks and benefits of that test....

Reading up a whole lot of research and then throwing that out there as factual, almost down our throats is opinonated...to say the least, not providing an opinion...

In addition constantly providing links - is against our rules, seems Eliz did not come back after being warned of this, and it appears you have and have now attacked our members.

We do not tolerate that type of behaviour on this Forum. That also results in banning.

This thread is also closed.

The OP has not returned and I hope that she purely makes her own decision and takes what she found helpful from this Forum...