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Women with cerebral palsy are significantly less likely to receive routine gynecologic care — including Pap tests and mammograms — compared to women without the condition. A large study of over 690,000 women found odds of receiving these screenings were up to 85% lower for those with cerebral palsy. Researchers say the gap is multifactorial and likely to meaningfully reduce health quality over time.
Women with cerebral palsy (CP) are being left behind when it comes to routine preventive gynecologic care, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Analyzing insurance claims data from 2010 to early 2022, researchers compared over 138,000 women with CP to more than 553,000 matched controls — and the disparities were striking across every age group and every type of screening examined.
After adjusting for relevant factors, women with CP had dramatically lower odds of receiving standard preventive services. The causes are likely multifactorial, including physical accessibility barriers, communication challenges, assumptions about sexual inactivity, and fragmented care coordination — but the bottom line is clear: disability status is functioning as a de facto barrier to guideline-based screening.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Preventive screenings like Pap tests and mammograms are cornerstones of early cancer detection. When women with CP consistently miss these services, they face a higher risk of late-stage diagnoses and worse health outcomes — a gap that clinicians, health systems, and policymakers urgently need to address.
