Cervical cancer screening practices of certified nurse-midwives in the United States

J Midwifery Womens Health. 2008 Jan-Feb;53(1):11-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jmwh.2007.06.014.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine how closely certified nurse-midwives in the United States follow contemporary cervical cancer screening guidelines. A survey was sent to 264 randomly selected certified nurse-midwives. Survey questions included demographics and clinical scenarios addressing initiation, frequency, and cessation of screening. Responses were received from 60% of the sampled certified nurse-midwives who had valid mailing addresses; 127 were eligible for the analytic sample. Many nurse-midwives initiate cervical cancer screening earlier than guidelines recommend; 72% would initiate screening in an 18-year-old within 1 month of coitarche, while 36% would begin screening virginal girls at age 18, and many continue cervical cancer screening after guidelines recommend cessation. More than 60% of the respondents would continue screening a woman who had undergone total hysterectomy for symptomatic fibroids who had no history of dysplasia, and half would continue to screen a 70-year-old woman with a 30-year history of previous normal Pap tests. In addition, despite guidelines which recommend less frequent screening, more than one-quarter (28%) would continue annual screening in a 35-year-old woman with three or more normal tests. Certified nurse-midwives are performing cervical cancer screening more frequently than current guidelines recommend. Comparisons to the practice of other providers are offered. Education to limit unnecessary testing is needed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Benchmarking*
  • Certification / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Midwifery / standards*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / etiology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / nursing*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Vaginal Smears / statistics & numerical data*