Breast and cervical cancer screening practices among Asian and Pacific Islander women in the United States, 1994-1997

Recent studies suggest that Asian and Pacific Islander women in the United States may underuse cancer screening tests. We examined the breast and cervical cancer screening practices of 6048 Asian and Pacific Islander women in 49 states from 1994 through 1997 using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. About 71.7% [95% confidence interval (CI), 66.3- 77.0%] of women in this sample aged ≥50 years had a mammogram in the past 2 years, and 69.5% (95% CI, 63.9-75.1%) had a clinical breast exam in the past 2 years. About 73.7% (95% CI, 71.3-76.0%) of women aged ≥18 years who had not undergone a hysterectomy had a Papanicolaou test in the past 3 years. Women with health insurance and those who had seen a physician in the past year were more likely to have been screened. These results underscore the need for continued efforts to ensure that Asian and Pacific Islander women who are medically underserved, including those without health insurance, have access to cancer screening services.