Why are women skipping their cancer screenings during the pandemic?

Ever since the start of the pandemic, people across the globe have been hesitant to get back into their regular schedule — this includes going to in-person doctors appointments.

Angela Jones, from the “Ask Dr. Angela” podcast, says she noticed a significant decrease in the number of women who attended their annual cancer screenings. This is due to obvious concerns that women have about contracting the virus in public. However, Dr. Jones says that she expects more appoints to be made in the future now that the vaccine is out and readily available.

A survey done by the Prevent Cancer Foundation says that over 70% of women were nervous to schedule an appointment during the pandemic. The survey also found that almost a quarter of women between the ages of 40-50 have not seen their OBGYN in 36 months. This news left Dr. Jones astounded.

“That’s like jaw-dropping for me,” says Dr. Jones. “I think women need to be seen for an annual exam. And an annual exam does not always mean a Pap smear.”

However, women should consider doing any type of cancer screening depending on their age.

Knowing what to expect during an exam will ease the anxiety of most of these women, says Dr. Jones. Having a doctor who’s intention is to empower and educate women will help to alleviate a lot of their nerves.

Book your appointment today at preventcancer.org/backonthebook