Screenings can save your life. In underserved communities, many people live without regular health care, increasing their risk for late diagnoses. Getting screened as early as possible can allow you to get the health services you need.
The statistics tell us a lot about how people are impacted. Generally, women living in Middle Eastern countries have later diagnoses and higher mortality - one main factor contributing to this is low screening rates of Muslim women. African American women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer, mostly because of late diagnoses. Latina women in America are 60% more likely to get cervical cancer and 40% more likely to die from it. South East Asian women have higher invasive cervical cancer rates and get fewer Pap tests done than most other ethnic groups in the US. And, the transgender and gender diverse communities are at higher risk due to lack of access to healthcare.