Well-Woman Visits and Cervical Cancer Screening at the Intersection of Sexual Orientation and Race/Ethnicity Among Illinois Women
Purpose:
This study examined receipt of a well-woman visit (WWV) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) at the intersection of sexual orientation and race/ethnicity among Illinois women aged 21–65.
Methods:
This study used 2016, 2018, and 2020 Illinois Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data for women aged 21–65 to examine rates of CCS ( n = 2848) and 2016–2018, 2020, and 2021 Illinois BRFSS data to examine WWV receipt ( n = 5863) by sexual orientation (heterosexual vs. lesbian, gay, and bisexual [LGB]). Self-reported race/ethnicity was tested as an effect modifier to assess intersectionality. Using binomial regression, adjusted prevalence differences (aPD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. Covariates included age, education, marital status, employment, and health insurance coverage.
Results:
Overall, 4.6% of Illinois women aged 21–65 self-identified as LGB. Heterosexual and LGB women had a similar prevalence of receipt of both a WWV (77.1% and 71.7%, respectively; aPD = 3.22, 95% CI: −3.62 to 10.06) and CCS (85.3% and 83.4%, respectively; aPD = 2.13, 95% CI: −4.77 to 9.04). Among non-Hispanic (NH) Black women, heterosexual compared with LGB women had a higher prevalence of receiving both types of care; however, adjusted associations included the null. Hispanic women had similar prevalence estimates by sexual orientation for both outcomes, and NH White heterosexual compared with LGB women had a higher prevalence of CCS, but not WWV.
Conclusion:
In Illinois overall, heterosexual and LGB women received preventive care at similar rates. However, when stratified by race/ethnicity, WWV and CCS receipt rates may be higher for heterosexual compared with LGB women, indicating potential missed opportunities for preventive care.