Kentucky Women’s Cancer Screening Program

Early breast and cervical cancer detection are important for increased survival rates and health outcomes. Unfortunately, women with disabilities are less likely than women without disabilities to receive these important health screenings. The differences in women’s health screening are the result of barriers like access issues, lack of information or knowledge, lack of provider referrals, and other reasons women struggle to get screened. There is currently no data in Kentucky related to the barriers women with disabilities experience when accessing women’s health screenings. The Kentucky Inclusive Health Collaborative (KIHC) at the University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute has partnered with the Kentucky Women’s Cancer Screening Program (KWCSP) to identify these barriers for women with disabilities across the state. Results from this partnership will be an important first step in addressing the barriers women with disabilities face in accessing quality women’s health screenings and follow-up care. KWCSP is a federally funded, public health program providing free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to eligible women in Kentucky.