How many is too many?
Aug. 12th, 2006 09:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
semperfionaHuh.Medicare defines it as five.
(There's a notice in my gynecologist's office that explains that PAP smears are only covered every three years, except for women in high-risk categories, who can have one every year. Five partners in a lifetime is considered a high-risk factor.)
(There's a notice in my gynecologist's office that explains that PAP smears are only covered every three years, except for women in high-risk categories, who can have one every year. Five partners in a lifetime is considered a high-risk factor.)
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Date: 2006-08-12 02:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 02:55 pm (UTC)In terms of estimating the risk of infection by, or at least exposure to, a specific pathogen, in this case HPV, five is probably a reasonable number.
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Date: 2006-08-12 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 03:18 pm (UTC)Grrr.
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Date: 2006-08-12 02:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 05:52 pm (UTC)However, being uninsured (and not qualifying for Medicare) is teaching me what it is to be considered less than human in such ways.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-12 09:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-13 08:34 am (UTC)When I went in for mine she asked how many partners I'd had in the last couple of years. When I gave her the number she asked how long I had them. When I gave her two numbers and told her they were running concurrently she didn't really blink.
After the pap was done she told me that assuming it came back clean (which it did) I should have one every year for three years and then I could go for longer between them assuming no change in my partner status (no adding or deleting--though how deleting would increase my need for a PAP I'm not sure) or in the status (no adding or deleting partners) of my partners.
And yes, when I told her my lifetime number was about seven depending on what you counted, she told me that was "high risk". And then I choked on my tongue.
Um.
Date: 2006-08-17 09:25 pm (UTC)