Under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases, a woman aged 35 years undergoes VIA screening for cervical cancer and the test is negative. When should she be rescreened?
- A After 1 year
- B After 5 years ✓
- C After 3 years
- D No rescreening needed if this was her first test
Correct answer: B. After 5 years
Explanation
National guidelines recommend VIA screening once every 5 years for women aged 30 to 49 years. A negative VIA test requires repeat screening after 5 years because precancerous lesions progress slowly and the sensitivity of a single VIA test is limited. Annual or 3-yearly intervals apply to cytology-based programmes elsewhere, and a single negative test never exempts a woman from future screening.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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