FDA approves self-tests for cervical cancer, as an alternative to the dreaded pelvic exam

Wilshire@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 202 points –
FDA approves self-tests for cervical cancer, as an alternative to the dreaded pelvic exam
usatoday.com
14

This is a really good thing. Apart from the goal eventually being a home test-

Most primary care doctors don't perform pelvic exams, meaning patients traditionally have to go to a gynecologist-obstetrician (OB-GYN) if they want to screen for cervical cancer.

That's something their insurance might not cover. It also means free clinics can do it. My hope is this saves a lot of lives.

Going to the OBGYN as a very masculine transdude is horrible. I get so many confused looks and hateful stares. This is going to be a godsend.

I hope this doesn't attract heat, but I'm really struggling to figure out why you'd need to go to OBGYN is that just automatic or something?

Edit: Yeah my brain missed the small detail I'm an idiot

I haven't had a hysterectomy so I still need to have cancer screenings every couple years.

I'm really sorry my brain just decided to completely skip what 'transdude' meant

That's a good point. If there's a tool approved for patient-use, primary care may feel comfortable performing it if the patient isn't.

Just to understand this correctly, prior to this you would have to have a very-personal and VERY-uncomfortable examination of your genitals, and even sometimes see a specialist instead of a gp, but now have a self-test as an option? If so, I can imagine that that would be incredibly preferable

They need something like this for colonoscopies.

If there was a way to test it at home, I'm sure a lot less people would die from colorectal cancer.

As someone linked, there is. You shit in a paint can for a week, send it in, then they make a poo smoothy and taste test for cancer.