Pap smears are used to detect cancer or abnormal cells on the cervix and are recommended every three years for women age 18 - 64.

Unfortunately, according to a recent report from the Agency for Health Research and Quality, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, over 14 percent of American women age 18-64 have not had a Pap smear in the past three years. Asian women were least likely to have received a Pap smear in the past three years.

Insured status also plays a role. Women without healthcare insurance were much more likely to not have had a Pap smear in the past three years; 25 percent of this group had not been screened versus 11 percent of women covered by private insurance and 15 percent of those on some form of public insurance.

Women who were less educated were also less likely to have had a Pap smear in the past three years as were single women when compared to their married counterparts.

There are so many cancers that are difficult to detect in the early stages and for which no widespread screening programs exist. These cancers are often discovered in the late-stage, when there is no cure. In contrast, Pap smear screening reduces both the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer and is simple and relatively inexpensive. Hopefully, as our country continues to grapple with our healthcare access crisis, we can find a way to for more women to get screened for this preventable cancer.

A simple $50 Pap smear test has reduced the U.S.cervical cancer death rate by 75 percent in recent years. The test detects precancerous cells in time to prevent full blown cancer from forming, or if the cancer is already present it can usually be cured. The above statements are true for a certain segment of the population. But, sadly, they do not apply to many of the poor and minority populations of our country. This largely preventable disease will kill over 4,000 women this year alone, a majority of them live in poverty and will be black women in the South, Hispanics living along the Texas-Mexico border, older white women in Appalachia and the rural Northeast and Vietnamese immigrants.

For a test that is simple to administer and relatively inexpensive, this information is scandalous. Currently a $25 million dollar cervical cancer awareness program is being implemented to help reach minorities and women living in poverty. The program seeks to recruit volunteers in communities that understand the needs of local women or who speak their language. The hope is that by having a person they can trust, these women will be more willing to seek medical attention.