Evidence shows that many of the tests and screenings commonly used in women’s health care are unnecessary under certain circumstances and may also be harmful. Cervical cancer screening, for instance, has decades of evidence that shows that annual screening, as well as testing among the youngest and oldest populations, is more harmful than beneficial.1
For the Choosing Wisely™ campaign, specialty societies, including the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), and the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), have developed evidence-based recommendations for what care should not be provided.2 In developing these recommendations, the goal was to follow the primary tenet of medicine: first, do no harm. The Choosing Wisely recommendations that pertain to women’s health and focus on primary and preventive care are presented and discussed below. The Women’s Health Care Don’ts at the end of this article provides a summary of these recommendations.