New guidelines suggest less frequent pap smears

It’s been a double whammy for preventative screenings and women’s health lately. We got news of the new mammogram recommendations a few weeks ago and then the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology came out with new recommendations about the frequency of pap smears. Via Yahoo:

The guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists or ACOG now say women younger than 30 should undergo cervical cancer screening once every two years instead of an annual exam. And those age 30 and older can be screened once every three years.

It seems most providers are on-board with the new recommendations (unlike the mammogram changes, which were met with serious criticism) but it still leaves some questions for me.
First off, it is going to take a lot of work to modify all the education that has been done to drill the message of “annual pap” into women’s heads. Secondly, I still think women should see their provider every year, for physicals but also to do routine STI testing, birth control exams and other health needs. Will a woman go to the doctor if she doesn’t feel pressure to get a pap? I think all of us would benefit from regular doctor’s visits (including men and folks of all genders).
The most difficult thing about these changing guidelines is understanding how they fit into the current standards for treatment, and what they mean for individuals and their health care needs. I think the movement away from unnecessary interventions (even preventative screenings) is a good one, but I’d like to see these screenings replaced with meaningful relationships with providers.
What if we took that 20 or so minutes the yearly pap smear takes and instead had a conversation with our provider about our sexual health, our concerns, our lifestyle and health needs? Unfortunately with the way our health care system works now, getting rid of these screenings will probably mean shorter and less frequent visits to the doctor.