Cervical cancer rates are climbing among low-income women. Here’s why.
“Most of the roughly 26 million Americans who did not have health insurance in 2023 were members of a low-income family with one breadwinner, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. And most low-income Americans don’t have any savings that they could draw on for medical expenses. One 2021 report analyzing Federal Reserve data found that only about a third of households earning under $26,267 annually, just under the federal poverty level for a family of four that year, had a savings account. A cervical cancer screening test that requires follow-up might involve multiple visits to a healthcare provider. This often requires women to schedule time off from work, find childcare or arrange for transportation if the doctor’s office or healthcare clinic is far away — all of which is costly”