Thank you for asking that question.
I think there's paternalism at several levels. One of the most obvious is the idea that recalls are a harm that should be weighed against the possibility of an avoidable late-stage diagnosis, which may mean harsher treatment and potential death.
A recall is where somebody gets pulled over after their mammogram to go back for extra testing. I liken it to going through security at the airport. They put your carry-on through the X-ray, and every once in a while they'll see something in your bag, ask you to come over and check your bag. Then most of the time you're not carrying anything dangerous, and you can just go on your way.
That's very much similar to what the process is with mammography. A recall is not a harm. It's unpleasant. I do not diminish the level of anxiety and shock that there is in finding out you have to go back for another look, but it's transient. The reason people are worried is that they don't want to die of cancer, and that's what this is all for. We are trying to avoid having people die of cancer, so they get worried when we call them back, but that's part of the process. It's a lot of hard work not to die of cancer.