MMWR – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

1. Drowsy Driving — 19 States and the District of Columbia, 2009–2010

CDC
Division of News & Electronic Media
404-639-3286

Drowsy driving is an important contributor to motor vehicle crashes and fatalities. CDC found that among adults in selected states, 4.2 percent reported falling asleep while driving during the previous 30 days. Individuals who reported snoring or usually sleeping 6 or fewer hours per day were more likely to report falling asleep while driving. To prevent drowsy driving, drivers should ensure that they get enough sleep (at least 7 hours), seek treatment for sleep disorders, and refrain from using alcohol or other sedating medications before taking the wheel. The only safe thing for drivers to do if they start to feel sleepy while driving is to get off the road and rest until no longer drowsy or change drivers.

2. Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Aged 18–30 Years — United States, 2000-2010 & Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Aged ≥30 Years, With or Without a History of Hysterectomy — United States, 2000–2010

CDC
Division of News & Electronic Media
404-639-3286

Appropriate cervical screening is important to maximize benefits and minimize harms at the population level, and to ensure that resources are made available for women who need to be screened. New cervical cancer screening guidelines recommend that Pap tests should be used to screen average-risk women aged 21-65 every 3 years. Screening guidelines also recommend against routine screening for women who have had a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and uterine cervix), for benign reasons. Two studies published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report show screening behaviors of young women aged 18-30 years are increasingly consistent with national guidelines. Although the proportion of women reporting both a hysterectomy and a Pap test within 3 years has declined, 60 percent of women having had a hysterectomy continue to report a recent Pap test, against recommendations.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES