Inequities in cervical cancer care in indigenous Peruvian women (about 25% of Peru’s population is indigenous)
April 20th, 2019Inequities in cervical cancer care in indigenous Peruvian women
“…Lima, is home to the country’s National Institute of Cancer (INEN) and has substantially lower rates of cervical cancer than elsewhere in the country, partially due to higher socioeconomic status and better access to screening and specialised care./…..”
“…..When informed she must travel to INEN for care, a patient from the Andean region told us: “I started crying, begging the doctors, ‘I don’t even have enough money to eat. I don’t have a job. How am I going to travel to Lima where I don’t even have family to stay with?’”
Similar to several participants, a woman from the Amazon region, who had SIS and was referred to INEN for free care, did not have the means to travel and sought local traditional herbal remedies, remaining in pain for over a year without treatment. Of the women who were able to travel to Lima, finding accommodation was a substantial barrier to care…….”