I read the NY Times article, and I thought it skipped over some major issues with cervical cancer. Yes, it's true that in the US, most women who get regular pap smears don't die of cervical cancer. But the treatments for cervical cancer are not trivial. They range from scraping off layers of your cervix all the way up to hysterectomy. It can lead to infertility, or there can be other complications. These treatments may be successful for the most part, but they aren't trivial. (Not to mention how difficult it can be to get regular pap smears when you're uninsured or underinsured. The safety issues are certainly serious and should be considered, but I thought the NY Times article was awfully dismissive to say that "women in the US don't die of cervical cancer" without saying "but they may have to have lengthy, painful treatments if they get it".