“My parents did not think that the HPV vaccine was necessary for me, as they assumed that I would not become sexually active.”
The HPV vaccine can prevent
90%
of cervical cancer cases. As recommended by the World Health Organization, the primary target group is girls aged 9–14.
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
McKinsey & Company
Cervical cancer example
Cervical cancer example
Preventive care
Preventive care
Screening and diagnosis
Screening and diagnosis
Treatment
Treatment
Follow-up
Follow-up
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.
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.
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.”
Cervical cancer example
Preventive care
Screening and diagnosis
Treatment
Follow-up
Cervical cancer example
Preventive care
Screening and diagnosis
Treatment
Follow-up
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.
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.
Note: HPV is the human papillomavirus.
McKinsey & Company
Eliza had trouble accessing screening.
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
Screening and diagnosis
Women with disabilities are
less likely to be screened for cervical cancer.
35%
“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.”
“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.
Cervical cancer example
Preventive care
Screening and diagnosis
Treatment
Follow-up
Cervical cancer example
Preventive care
Treatment
Follow-up
McKinsey & Company
A few years later, Eliza was diagnosed with cervical cancer.
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
Treatment
People with disabilities are
more likely to have no treatment
40%
14%
less likely to undergo chemotherapy
130%
more likely to be diagnosed with an unknown stage of cancer (because cancer scales do not appropriately consider disability)
