Then, as if purposely adding fuel to the anti-early-screening pyre, within days of the announcement, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggested that women delay their first Pap test until age 21 and forgo yearly screenings in favor of every other year.

The timing may have been coincidental, but it was certainly unfortunate.

Two seemingly reputable groups challenged almost everything women have been taught about screening methods. Both cited unnecessary testing, false positives, and anxiety-inducing procedures as the reasons behind the amended guidelines, but it appears they’ve caused more harm than good.

Last Thursday, a separate panel of doctors and radiologists blasted the new breast cancer recommendations, claiming they represented “a major setback” and would wipe out decades of progress. They were right.

Since 1990, breast cancer deaths have dropped 30 percent as a result of early detection. And although the physicians had little to say regarding the cervical cancer recommendations, primarily because less than 1 percent of cases occur in women under 21, statistics show that early detection in the form of yearly Pap tests has been equally effective in combating that disease, too.

For experts to suggest that women wait until their twenties to get their first Pap then ditch their annual exam is problematic for several reasons. Forget for now that the Pap is how doctors find sexually transmitted diseases and most women are sexually active way before they turn 21. Paps are also how doctors find precancerous cells, and women under 21 represent the highest cases of HPV, the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. Seems like there’s a serious lack of congruity here.

I’m thinking that if the population of women at highest risk for cervical cancer gets fewer screenings that could potentially be life-threatening. According to U.S. News & World Report, 50 percent of women diagnosed with cervical cancer have never had a Pap before.

Furthermore, none of the medical professionals behind the updated guidelines mentioned varying demographics. Women of color, particularly black women, are diagnosed at the later stages of pretty much every reproductive cancer. It’s clear that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t a smart way to practice medicine. Some groups should be encouraged to pursue early screening methods, not forgo them.

The general consensus among the government panel, however, is that for the large number of women tested only a small amount end up being diagnosed with cancer. But this idea is symptomatic of everything that’s wrong with health care in America.

Preventive care is about more than just tests; it’s an approach to wellness. As Americans, we end up playing catch-up when it comes to our health when we should be ahead of the curve.  When a woman is diagnosed with HPV that’s not preventive. When a woman feels a lump in her breast, that’s not preventive either.

Let me explain what is. When I was laid up in the hospital after my surgery, one of my roommates was a Jewish woman in her late fifties. She’d gone in for her annual, and her GYN suggested that she start getting ultrasounds as a regular part of her exam. Well, guess what they found when the results of her test came back? Ovarian cancer, stage I.

Luckily, the disease was caught early, when it’s highly curable. And it’s all because of her doctor’s foresight. Whatever the cost of her ultrasound, I can guarantee that it was infinitesimal compared to the costs of the chemo drugs she would’ve required had the disease advanced.

It makes me wonder whether my own cancer would’ve been caught earlier had I undergone regular ultrasounds to monitor my ovarian cysts.

Even more dangerous, though, is that these misguided guidelines have the potential to slow the momentum of awareness campaigns. By discouraging younger women from undergoing regular testing, such as mammograms and Paps, reproductive cancers could be framed as an “older woman’s disease.”

That’s been the case with ovarian cancer, yet I’ve met a community of women diagnosed in their thirties and forties. To raise awareness, all women, regardless of age, have to be involved. Cancer doesn’t discriminate.

Finally, lessening the importance of critical exams would give insurance companies yet another reason not to pay for a procedure. That would go a long way toward saving them money — all the while endangering women’s lives.

tom brady in pink sneaks

NFL players in pink is a beautiful thing.

Every Sunday throughout October, your favorite athletes will be accessorizing in pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Pink gloves, pink sneakers. I even saw a pink ribbon on several pigskins. What an ingenious way to raise awareness.

The American Cancer Society and the National Football League joined forces to roll out the campaign. And it makes a lot of sense when you think about it. I’m sure almost all of the men in the league know someone who has been touched by the disease — a mother, a sister, an aunt, even other men. Of course they want to show their support.

It’s touching actually, to see all those big, burly guys rocking pink for such an important cause. Collaborative efforts like this is how you conquer cancer. It’s not always about promoting new drugs and treatments. Sometimes it’s about showing solidarity. Sometimes it’s about supporting from the sidelines (pun intended). Whoever came up with this idea needs to get a promotion. Go NFL.

This morning, I was watching Regis and Kelly and, to my delight, I learned that Ms. Ripa, whom I really like, is the spokesperson for The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. It seems she’s hatched a plan to get people to buy handbags and appliances in the name of ovarian cancer. In celebration of Valentine’s Day, she’s sponsoring a virtual bake sale with Electrolux. For every cupcake you make online, $1 will be donated to help fight ovarian cancer. Hey, whatever it takes. If purchasing a designer purse or an energy-smart refrigerator means saving more lives (and extending my own) then I say bring on the mass production, people. Plus, that’s good for the economy, right?

There’s also new news this week about the results of a study calling for clinicians and medical researchers to chart and address the unmet needs of ovarian cancer patients. Experts believe there is significant opportunity to improve the diagnoses and outlook for women like me. It all starts with identifying the symptoms of ovarian cancer, which until recently had been largely unknown. Turns out, those who study the disease are finding that most women, me included, often suffer from bloating, weight loss or gain, and digestion issues. More findings will be released soon, and I’ll be sure to keep documenting.

In the meantime, if Kelly Ripa is your friend (I’ll even settle for Facebook friend), tell her that you know a fabulous ovarian cancer slayer who would love nothing more than to promote the cause with her. I wonder if I could get a free handbag.