Which statement about low specificity and USPSTF recommendations is accurate?

• A. Increases false negatives
• B. Has no impact
• C. Increases false positives and may weaken recommendations
• D. Reduces prevalence of disease

Answer: (C)

Low specificity means the test will label more people without disease as positive. When screening produces many false positives, more individuals undergo unnecessary follow-up tests, experience anxiety, and may face procedure-related harms and extra costs. That added harm can outweigh the benefits of detecting true disease, so the overall balance of benefits and harms becomes less favorable. In USPSTF terms, this can lead to weaker or more cautious screening recommendations. This concept is about false positives, not false negatives (which relate to sensitivity), and it doesn’t imply the disease prevalence is reduced.