Cervical cancer screening rates dropped substantially at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente's Southern California division after the state implemented a stay-at-home order last spring, the CDC said in a Jan. 29 report.
Researchers examined EHR data for nearly 1.5 million female patients at Kaiser Permanente Southern California to assess screening rates before and after California implemented the stay-at-home order March 19, 2020.
Cervical cancer screening rates fell 78 percent compared to 2019 levels, when the order was in effect. This decline was consistent among all racial and ethnic groups.
Screenings rebounded between mid-June and September 2020, after the stay-at-home order was lifted. However, screening rates were still 29 percent lower for women ages 20-29 and 24 percent lower for women ages 30-65, compared to 2019.
To view the full report, click here.