Women's Health

 

New study on reach of Montana Cancer Control Program among women with disability

Women with disabilities have lower screening rates for breast and cervical cancer [and] emerging research suggests that rural geographic settings may present greater disparities in screening utilization. This study examined whether women with and without disabilities using Montana Cancer Control Program (MCCP) differ in use of breast (BCS) and cervical (CCS) screening services, receipt of and follow up for inconclusive or abnormal results, and compliance with BCS and CCS USPSTF recommendations. [Disability status was defined as] experiencing one or more of these limitations…1) hearing difficulty; 2) vision difficulty; 3) cognitive difficulty; 4) ambulatory difficulty; 5) self-care difficulty; 6) independent living difficulty. [Of women utilizing MCCP,] 145 reported a hearing difficulty, 62 a vision difficulty, 424 a cognitive difficulty, 465 an ambulatory difficulty, 122 a self-care difficulty, and 237 an independent living difficulty. Women with disability reported a higher prevalence of tobacco use, breast problems and having a hysterectomy. No significant differences were detected between [these two populations] in their use of MCCP screening. Those with health insurance were more likely to be in compliance with both BCS and CCS; however, women with one or more disability characteristics were more likely to not be in compliance. While the MCCP is reaching women with disabilities, further research should examine issues regarding physical accessibility of mammography facilities/equipment and gynecologic services. Froehlich-Grobe, K., Shropshire, W.C., Zimmerman, H., VanBrunt, J., & Betts, A. (2016). Reach of the Montana Cancer Control Program to women with disabilities. Journal of Community Health, 41(3), 650-657. DOI: 10.1007/s10900-015-0141-y To read the entire article, go here: PDF   Casting for Recovery: Provides free retreats to promote and support mental and physical healing for women with breast cancer. Every Woman Matters: A Montana multi-media event hightlighting the importance of breast cancer screening among women with physical disabilities.

• • Every Woman Matters promotional film
  • Screening Saves Lives brochure    PDF file     large print
  • Video  of the EWM event in Butte, MT

Montana Mammography Directory: The Montana Mammography Directory provides information on mammography service providers by city.  Each entry includes contact information, hours of operation, standard and additional services available, and disability access information. The Right to Know Campaign:  Breast cancer is a major public health concern for all women, including women with disabilities. To increase awareness of breast cancer among women with physical disabilities and encourage them to be screened, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed and tested a collection of health promotion materials featuring the stories of four women with physical disabilities. Materials, audio-recordings and transcripts are available. Women be Healthy: Curriculum for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to improve their knowledge and awareness of breast and cervical health practices. Pelvic Health Webinars: The first two sessions of the pelvic health matters webinar series for women with mobility impairments are now archived.  There will be two more webinars in May that can be accessed through the Baylor College of Medicine website.