McKinsey & Company
Note: This exhibit is illustrative, describing potential experiences of people with disabilities and cervical cancer. The persona and quotes in this exhibit were developed via data from scientific literature, including Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, Cancer Research UK, the International Journal of Women’s Health, and the other sources cited in this exhibit.
Meet Eliza.
Cervical cancer example
Eliza is from the United Kingdom. She has a physical impairment that requires her to use a wheelchair. She is 36 years old, lives independently, and is generally healthy overall. She has been called to receive cervical cancer screening.
Preventive care
Screening and diagnosis
Treatment
Follow-up
Note: HPV is the human papillomavirus. Source: Jenny O’Neill et al., “Vaccination in people with disability: A review,” Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 2020, Volume 16, Number 1; Melissa Rowe et al., “HPV vaccination among females with mental and physical limitation,” Marshall Journal of Medicine, 2017, Volume 3, Number 2; “The HPV vaccine,” Cancer Research UK, reviewed on January 25, 2024; “WHO updates recommendations on HPV vaccination schedule,” World Health Organization, December 20, 2022
Eliza was not initially offered the HPV vaccine.
People with disabilities are
30–50%
less likely to receive the HPV vaccination.
The HPV vaccine can prevent
of cervical cancer cases. As recommended by the World Health Organization, the primary target group is girls aged 9–14.
90%
“My parents did not think that the HPV vaccine was necessary for me, as they assumed that I would not become sexually active.”
Source: Hannah Kuper et al., “Principles for service delivery: Best practices for cervical screening for women with disabilities,” International Journal of Women’s Health, 2024, Volume 16; ‘We’re made to feel invisible’: Barriers to accessing cervical screening for women with physical disabilities, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, 2019
Eliza had trouble accessing screening.
Women with disabilities are
less likely to be screened for cervical cancer.
35%
“As a wheelchair user, I find it incredibly difficult to get onto the examination couches, all of which are old and have a fixed height.”
Physical barriers to getting cytology (Pap smear) include a lack of adjustable examination tables and unavailability of screenings at home.
“There is the presumption that, unlike other women, I don’t need this screening. Many people think disabled women are asexual, which is simply not true.”
Source: Jin Young Choi et al., “Disparities in the diagnosis, treatment, and survival rate of cervical cancer among women with and without disabilities,” Cancer Control, 2021, Volume 28
A few years later, Eliza was diagnosed with cervical cancer.
“I have a worse diagnosis but less treatment. That was really hard for me to wrap my head around. By way of explanation, people would say things like, ‘Oh, we don’t want to put you through that treatment.’ But it infuriated me because I thought, ‘No! Put me through that.’ I have a right to the same quality of care as everyone else!”
more likely to have no treatment
40%
less likely to undergo chemotherapy
14%
130%
more likely to be diagnosed with an unknown stage of cancer (because cancer scales do not appropriately consider disability)
Eliza had limited options for care facilities.
“I was referred to another hospital that had an adjustable bed needed for treatment. I am worried that I did not get care as good as others’ and that there may be recurrences.”
as likely to complete a successful patient journey.
50%
1.4×
People with disabilities also experience a
People with disabilities often have to travel far for radiology follow-ups because of the limited number and availability of nearby, accessible radiology offices.
higher rate of cervical cancer mortality compared with patients with no disability.
