Minority ethnic women are less likely than white women to attend cervical cancer screenings, with four in 10 saying they would feel unsafe attending a doctor’s surgery as a result of the pandemic. The findings in a study for Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust has revealed that black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women are twice as likely (20%) to be strongly worried about contracting the virus at a cervical cancer screening than white women (9.4%). The report comes as 2.5m appointments for cancer screening, tests and treatments – including cervical cancer screening appointments – have been delayed because of the pandemic. While the study highlights inequalities in reproductive healthcare during the pandemic, research has found that BAME women are also usually less likely to attend cervical cancer screening appointments. Robert Music, chief executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said it was worrying that women did not want to attend cervical cancer screening as a result of the pandemic.

Source: The Guardian August 25, 2020 12:47 UTC