Obese women less likely to have cancer screening
Women that are very obese are more likely to develop cancers of various types. Unfortunately, it has been found that this group of women are the ones most likely to skip scheduled cancer screenings including mammograms and pap smears.
Analysis of the information gathered from the National Health Interview carried out in 2000 came to this troubling conclusion. This is really unfortunate because several cancers can be treated successfully if they are found early. Over 8000 women between the ages of 40 and 74 took part.
It is important to find out why obese women have less cancer screening. There are suggestions from some focus groups that very obese women may find it embarrassing having to take their clothes off for physical exams with their doctors. There is also the problem of having appropriate equipment like weighing scales to cater for women who are too obese for normal ones.
It’s easy to tell a woman who is obese that the benefits of screening far outweigh any temporary embarrassment she may feel during examination. Unfortunately some of them have endured years of negative comments and people staring at them which may have had long-term psychological effects.
If you do know any woman that is in this position, do your best to encourage and support her. The examination and screening may well save her life.
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