New study highlights need for accessible preventive health care for women

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A new report released Thursday from the National Women’s Law Center shows that women’s health is suffering across the United States and in Minnesota.

The report, entitled Health Care: Making the Grade on Women’s Health analyzes women’s health state by state in comparison with the Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2010 goals. The US has failed to meet most goals for women’s health.

While Minnesota ranks 5th in the nation for overall women’s health, , the state received a failing grade for women’s access to pap screenings, a key preventive measure essential for reproductive health and cancer detection. Minnesota ranks 18th in the nation for women who have had a pap screening in the past three years.

“We can and must do better for the women and families of Minnesota,” said PPMNS President and CEO Sarah Stoesz. “Access to preventive health care for women is a public health imperative,” said Stoesz.

Regular pap screenings can detect cervical cancer early, making it more treatable. Planned Parenthood works to help women prevent cervical cancer in three important ways: by offering routine Pap screenings that can detect cellular changes in the cervix, by providing treatment for abnormal cervical cells that can lead to cancer, and by offering vaccinations – to both females and males – that can prevent HPV infection. This approach, combined with intensive education and outreach efforts in communities across the state, is an important strategy for reducing the incidence of cervical cancer in Minnesota and protecting the public health.

Last year in Minnesota alone, PPMNS provided more than 300,000 units of contraception, approximately 62,000 sexually transmitted infection tests, more than 20,000 breast cancer screenings and over 17,000 cervical cancer screenings to women and families in need of health care in clinics throughout Minnesota. In the past year alone, PPMNS has served more than 60,000 Minnesotans in need of affordable health care.

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