Go to regular doctor for routine exams, urges KCE

Routine gynaecological examinations, such as the Pap smear to detect cervical cancer, can also be carried out by the general practitioner (GP), reports De Morgen based on a report by the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE).

Thanks to a new kind of Pap smear procedure, women should no longer have to go every three, but every five years to get tested for cervical cancer. The test can perfectly be carried out by a GP, or in the future even at home with a do-it-yourself kit. "As it is now, many women go to the gynaecologist too often for this routine exam."

Women’s health experts at KCE have long agreed that routine examinations should be performed by GPs, in order to bring down the cost and allow the specialists to focus on their specialisation.