Racial inequalities in access to women's health care in southern Brazil.
The aim of this population-based cross-sectional study was to investigate access by 20 to 60 year-old women--both black and white--to early detection (pap-smear) exams for breast and cervical cancer in two towns--São Leopoldo and Pelotas--in Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil. Estimates of the association between race/color and access to Pap-smear and breast exams were adjusted for income, education, economic class and age. Of the 2,030 women interviewed, 16.1% were black and 83.9%, white. Black women were significantly less likely to have had a Pap-smear and/or breast exam than white women. Racial inequalities in access to cancer early detection exams persisted after controlling for age and other socioeconomic factors. Racial differentials in access to early detection (Pap-smear) exams for breast and cervical cancers might result from racial and socioeconomic inequalities experienced by black women in access to reproductive health care services and programs.
Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Rua José do Patrocinio 486, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. fernandabairros@gmail.com
Fernanda Souza de
FS
Bairros
Stela Nazareth
SN
Meneghel
Juvenal Soares
JS
Dias-da-Costa
Diego Garcia
DG
Bassani
Ana Maria Baptista
AM
Menezes
Denise Petrucci
DP
Gigante
Maria Teresa Anselmo
MT
Olinto
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D001938:Brazil; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult