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Jamie G. Swaine, Susan L. Parish, Karen Luken, Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening for Women with Intellectual Disabilities, Health & Social Work, Volume 38, Issue 3, August 2013, Pages 183–186, https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlt012
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Preventive screenings are an important component in maintaining overall good health (National Prevention Council, 2011). Individuals who receive recommended preventive screenings are more likely to identify the early signs of potential health problems, allowing the patient to seek out treatment before problems become life-threatening or otherwise serious. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults and children receive regular preventive health screenings.
Screening for Breast and Cervical Cancer
The two most common types of preventive screenings for women, the Papanicolaou (Pap) test and the mammogram, have successfully reduced women's mortality and morbidity rates. Pap tests are used to detect changes in cervical cells that could indicate precancerous or cancerous conditions. The American Cancer Society (ACS) (2012) estimated that approximately 12,170 new cases of cervical cancer would be diagnosed in the United States in 2012. Although cervical cancer was once the leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women, the increased use of the Pap test has significantly reduced the rates of cervical cancer over the past decade (ACS, 2012; National Institutes of Health, 2010).