Women recognize prevention’s value, but still delay health screenings

- ADVERTISEMENT -

More than 40 percent of women said they skipped or delayed a screening recommended by a health professional, according to a recent survey by Gallup for the medical technology company Hologic.

In the survey of 4,001 adult women across the United States, 90 percent of respondents agreed that it is important to get regular preventive health screenings for cancer, heart disease, sexually transmitted infections and other key health conditions. But 43 percent also said they skipped or delayed a recommended screening, including for breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer.

The respondents cited multiple reasons for doing so: anxiety about medical tests, pain concerns, cost, lack of time or not believing a screening was necessary.

In addition, only 42 percent of the participants said they were “very confident” about which health screenings they needed. Many women also had trouble finding pertinent information, with 31 percent of Gen Z women saying it was hard for them to find relevant health information.

Some 63 percent of respondents said it was hard to prioritize their health.

Women who discussed screenings with doctors were more likely to go ahead with a screening appointment, but not everyone had such conversations.

The survey also found that commitment to health screenings varied with race. Black women were more likely to say regular health screenings were important and less likely to skip or delay one. However, they were also less likely to have had a conversation with a medical professional about key screenings.

The findings can have serious health consequences, a report on the survey notes. “Regular health screenings play a vital role in improving the health and well-being of women,” the survey report says.