U.S. Women Increasingly Not Screened for Cervical Cancer

A recent study revealed that the proportion of women in the United States who have never been screened for cervical cancer has been steadily increasing over the past two decades. During this time, the percentage of women aged 21 to 29 who had not been screened rose from 12.5% to 31.9%, with the most significant rise occurring between 2010 and 2023.

For women aged 30 to 65, the proportion of those never screened increased from 5.3% to 14.8%, with a notable spike from 2010 to 2023. The study, led by Dr. Kalyani Sonawane of the Medical University of South Carolina, was published in JAMA Network Open as a research letter.

The findings highlight a growing gap in cervical cancer prevention among young women and during midlife, emphasizing the need for targeted strategies to address structural barriers and improve screening uptake. The study also found that rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among women aged 21 to 29 varied significantly, ranging from 5.7% in 2008 to 54% in 2019.

Despite these trends, the authors noted that cervical cancer incidence rates among women aged 30 to 64 have increased by 2.3% and 2.6% per year since 2017.

The researchers analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) spanning from 2005 to 2023, which included a cervical cancer screening questionnaire. They estimated the proportions of women who reported never having undergone cervical cancer screening at each survey year for two age groups: 21 to 29 years and 30 to 65 years.

Additionally, they determined HPV vaccination status for women aged 21 to 29 in NHIS cycles 2008, 2010, 2015, 2018, and 2019. The study population consisted of 8,901 women aged 21 to 65, predominantly white, with some college education, private insurance, and living in the South.