Many Women Living With HIV Skip Pap Test Despite Increased Risk For Cervical Cancer, Study Finds

Nearly one in four women living with HIV did not receive an annual Pap test in the year prior to being interviewed, according to a study published in the Aug. 1, Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Reuters reports. Women with HIV have an increased risk for cervical cancer, which the test detects, the article states. According to Reuters, "To see if guidelines for annual cervical cancer screening for HIV-infected women were being performed, [researchers] analyzed information on 2417 HIV-infected women from 18 states. Records showed that 23 percent of those interviewed had not undergone a Pap test during the year before the interview." The article states, "The risk of cervical cancer has not decreased since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection, 'highlighting the continued importance of cervical cancer screening in this population,' health officials from" CDC note in the journal (Reuters, 7/30).