So right on the heels of the new mammogram guidelines come the new Pap smear guidelines.

The rationale put forward by ACOG for Pap smears seems a lot more reasonable than that for mammograms - but I wonder what the reaction will be.

Before the spin machines get into high gear in the press, what's your take?

This is really not a huge departure from the prior reccs of everyone BUT ACOG. It used to say to start 3 years after onset of sex OR at 21, whichever came first. Before that everyone was supposed to start at 18, I believe (that's before I was in practice). And realistically, the majority of teens DO clear their HPV, so needlessly cutting out or freezing ther cervixes can hardly be considered a service to girls who mostly have not had the chance to bear children.