Did You Know About Cervical Cancer with Hispanic-Americans?

Did you know?

• Hispanic-American women are twice as likely to develop cervical cancer as Caucasian women.
• Unlike Caucasians and African-Americans, cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanic-Americans because of statistically lower incomes and reduced access to healthcare.
• Hispanic-Americans have lower cancer screening rates, which means the disease is more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage when it’s less curable.
• Despite the fact that cervical cancer could be prevented with regular Pap smears, often Hispanic-American women don’t go back to the doctor after an abnormal result.
• HPV vaccination rates in Hispanic-American girls trail behind Caucasians: 

:...with almost 75 percent of white girls ages 13 to 17 completing the three-dose series compared to just under 70 percent of Hispanic girls, according to the CDC."

• Women in Mexico, Central and South America experience approximately triple the cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates of women in the U.S., largely because of a lack of access to screening.
• The highest rates of cervical cancer in the U.S. are among Hispanic-American women in the Midwest, probably because of new immigrants.

 Follow this link for more information.