CBS is recommending a rather unusual holiday gift for women this year: a Pap smear. The network began running PSAs encouraging men to "do something special for your woman" this year and schedule the procedure, which screens for cervical cancer. There are two versions - one for Christmas and one for Hanukkah, with the latter suggesting that this gift will "light up her menorah."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60 percent of cervical cancers occur in women who have never had a Pap smear or who haven't had one in the last five years. It's clear that public awareness of the importance of screening is needed, and I applaud CBS for its efforts to promote the test. Still, I can't help but laugh when I see the spots, which have a Saturday Night Live-type feel to them. And as important as a Pap may be, I personally wouldn't be pleased if that was the gift I received from my husband!
