MedPage Today reports, “More and more U.S. women were behind on guideline-recommended cervical cancer screening in recent years.”

Why? “Lack of knowledge about needing screening [is] cited as the primary reason for not being up to date,” researchers found.

In the “pooled, population-based, cross-sectional study, the percentage of women not up to date on their screening increased from about 14% in 2005 to 23% in 2019.”

The researchers found that “the most common reason given for not receiving timely cervical cancer screening was not knowing screening was needed, increasing from about 45% to 55% over the study period.”

The COVID pandemic has resulted in many elective procedures being put on hold, and this has led to a substantial decline in cancer screening.

The American Cancer Society says, “Cervical cancer can often be found early, and sometimes even prevented, by having regular screening tests.”

ACS adds, “If detected early, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable cancers.”

You can read more about cervical cancer here and the most up-to-date screening guidelines here.

The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

© Copyright WLL, INC. 2022. This blog provides healthcare tips and advice that you can trust about a wide variety of general health information only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your regular physician. If you are concerned about your health, take what you learn from this blog and meet with your personal doctor to discuss your concerns.