Health Officials Call for Regular Screening of 'Silent' STD
continued...
The new cholesterol guidelines also call for screening young adults beginning at age 20 if they are at risk for heart disease. Diabetes, high blood pressure, family history of heart disease, and tobacco use increase heart disease risk.
In a written statement, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson says, "So many of our health problems can be avoided through healthy lifestyles and preventive healthcare. These screening recommendations are an important step in our efforts to improve the quality of healthcare and quality of life for all Americans."
In addition, the new recommendations state that there is still insufficient scientific evidence to determine whether regular total body skin examination for skin cancer reduces illness and death. The task force reached this same conclusion in the 1996.
Also, despite research showing that pregnant women with bacterial vaginosis, a vaginal discharge caused by an imbalance in vaginal bacteria common among women of childbearing age, have a higher risk of preterm delivery, there is not enough evidence to merit regular screening.
