CANCER SCREENING IN HOMELESS WOMEN - ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS

Little is known about the use of cancer-screening services in homeless women and their attitudes about early detection programs. Face-to-fac e interviews were conducted with homeless women in San Francisco to de termine rates of clinical breast exams, mammograms, and Pap smears. A total of 105 women were randomly selected from two homeless shelters. By self-report, 51 percent were current on clinical breast exams, 47 p ercent on mammograms, and 54 percent on Pap smears. These women had ve ry positive attitudes toward receiving cancer-screening exams. In mult ivariate analyses, discussion about cancer prevention with a health ca ve provider predicted current clinical breast exams and mammograms. Mo re medical visits predicted being current on mammograms and Pap smears . Although homeless women represent a unique group of the urban poor, they are accessing cancer-screening exams at rates comparable to the g eneral population.