While the majority of women recognize the importance of routine preventive health screenings, 43% say they have missed or delayed preventive screenings, including for cancer, according to a survey of 4,000 adult women in the U.S. cited by The Washington Post in a July 22 report.
Over a one-week period in April, Gallup conducted a random-digit-dial phone survey of 4,001 women in the U.S. on behalf of Hologic, a diagnostics company. In the survey, 90% of respondents said they believe health screenings are important. At the same time, more than 40% said they have delayed recommended screenings, including for breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer.
Women pointed to anxiety about medical tests, fear of pain, affordability concerns or not believing screening was necessary as the top reasons for skipping or delaying screenings.
Overall, women who said they have spoken with their healthcare providers about screenings were more likely to report having been screened. However, the results indicated these conversations are not always happening: About half of respondents 35 and older (the recommended age to begin skin cancer screening) said they have spoken to a healthcare professional about getting screened, with 45% saying they did get screened.
In recent years, health systems ramped up efforts to increase screening rates for cancer and other preventive health conditions. Many have debuted or expanded mobile screening services, and used technology to identify high-risk patients and notify them on when to begin screenings.