title: Effect of health care disparities on screening.
abstract: Significant declines in the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer have occurred in the United States since the introduction of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test. Unfortunately, a reduction in the burden of cervical cancer is not equal across all ethnic and racial groups; significant disparities exist. Disparities are reflected not only in mortality and incidence rates, but also in screening rates. We review barriers to screening and effective approaches towards overcoming them. As minority populations increase over the next few decades, it becomes ever more urgent to employ interventions that will reduce the burden of cervical cancer among diverse groups.
authors: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. mdelcarmen@partners.org
authors: Marcela G
authors: MG
authors: del Carmen
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Avila-Wallace
mesh_terms: D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data