According to a study published online in JAMA Network Open, guideline-concordant cervical cancer screening rates decreased between 2005 and 2019.
Ryan Suk, Ph.D., from University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, and colleagues estimated changes in U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guideline-concordant cervical cancer screening over time using data from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey (2005 to 2019; 20,557 women aged 21 to 65 years old).
The researchers found that in 2019, women aged 21 to 29 years old had a significantly higher rate of overdue screening (29.1 percent) versus women aged 30 to 65 years old (21.1 percent). In addition, there was a significant increase observed during the study period in both age groups for the proportion of women without up-to-date screening (from 14.4 to 23.0 percent).
Women who were Asian versus non-Hispanic white, those identifying as LGBTQ+ versus heterosexual, those living in rural versus urban areas, and those without insurance versus those with private insurance had significantly higher rates of overdue screenings. Lack of knowledge was cited as the most common reason for not receiving timely screening across all groups.
“Campaigns addressing patient knowledge and provider communication may help to improve screening rates, and cultural adaptation of interventions is needed to reduce existing disparities,” the authors write.
