Abstract C147: Cervical cancer screening adherence on Chicago’s West and South sides

Abstract Background: In 2024, there were almost 14,000 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in the United States and over 4,000 women died of cervical cancer. The death rate for cervical cancer has dropped more than half since the 1970s due to prevention efforts like screening and vaccination. However, the death rate is still 65% higher in Black women compared to White women. These ethnic and racial disparities are prevalent in Chicago where predominantly Black and Hispanic communities living on the west and south side exhibit mortalities that are 3-4 times the average of Chicago. These same communities have experienced decades of disinvestment resulting in unequal access to health care and lower percentages of women reporting a recent pap test within the past 3 years. The aim of this analysis was to understand the individual characteristics of women not obtaining their cervical cancer screenings on the west and south sides of Chicago. Methods: We utilized cross-sectional data from Equal Hope’s Bridging the Gap in Gynecological Care survey (IRB #24081602). Data was collected by community health workers in Chicago west and south side community areas where Equal Hope conducts outreach, and cervical cancer mortality rates are high. A total of 386 surveys were collected from November 2024 – February 2025. The analysis included respondents that had complete responses for cervical cancer screening history questions resulting in 348 responses. Descriptive analyses with stratification by geographic area were conducted, and overall percentages are reported. Results: Among those surveyed, 1 in 5 women stated they were not up to date on their cervical cancer screenings. Among those not up to date, a majority were between the ages of 30-64 (65%), identified as Hispanic (49%) or Black (38%), were uninsured (29%), and indicated a doctor’s office as their primary source of care (71%). On the west side 17% of women were not up to date with screening compared to 24% of women on the south side. Almost half of young (47%) women on the west side were behind on screening compared to only 24% on the south side. On the south side, 1 in 5 women who were not up to date with cervical cancer screening used the emergency room as their source of primary care whereas over 80% of women on the west side received primary care in a doctor’s office. Knowledge of HPV self-collection was higher among individuals who were up to date with their cervical cancer screening but still low, less than 30%. Lastly, knowledge of the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program was less than 40% among those who were not up to date with screening and was 45% among those who were uninsured. Conclusion: These findings suggest further targeted education needs to be made on the west and south sides regarding the importance of cervical cancer screening, the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, and HPV self-collection testing. Citation Format: Grace Kadubek, Gabriela Pena, Jennifer Riera, Donalynne Schaffer, Nacary Arreola, Brandon Ozobu, Chizelum Ikedi, Allison Serrano, Anna Borelli, Paris Thomas, Sarah Lomahan. Cervical cancer screening adherence on Chicago’s West and South sides [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr C147.