The new recommendation contradicts guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which immediately reiterated its support for yearly pelvic exams.

A pelvic exam consists of three elements: inspection of the external genitalia, examination of the vagina and cervix, and the bimanual examination, in which the physician inserts two gloved fingers into a woman’s vagina and, with the other hand, presses down on her abdomen to check the shape and size of her uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.

The exam takes up time during an annual physical and often requires the presence of a chaperone in the room, which raises costs.

The American College of Physicians reviewed studies of the procedure and concluded that pelvic exams were not accurate diagnostic screening tests for ovarian cancer. A dozen studies have suggested that many women experience pain or discomfort during the exams, and that they may be particularly traumatic for women who have been sexually assaulted.

The reviewers said that they could not even locate studies that had assessed whether routine pelvic exams of asymptomatic women could reduce death or disease from ovarian and other cancers, or benefit women with common benign conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease, fibroids or warts.