What keeps women from getting screened for Breast cancer?
- Breast cancer is a significant cause of mortality among women, and early detection is crucial for successful treatment. Unfortunately, barriers to screening exist, both globally and within countries.
- A recent study by Mascara and Constantinou (2021) highlights the challenges which include:
- lack of awareness of breast cancer and screening
- limited access to scientific information and healthcare providers
- social and psychological barriers (e.g. fear of breast cancer diagnosis, embarrassment, fear of mammography, belief in fate, high cost of mammography and long waiting list for mammography centres)
- geographical constraints (e.g. physical distance from mammography centres
- Health education programs can play a vital role in increasing awareness and promoting screening. Let’s break down these barriers and strive for early detection of breast cancer.
