Utah is among the five lowest states in the U.S. for mammography screening rates, Brigham Young University’s newspaper, The Daily Universe, reported this week.
Women who did seem to stick to yearly mammograms were more likely to be over 50 years old, earn more than $75,000 and have graduated college, the article states. Utah screenings are hurting the most in the Tri-County and Grand/San Juan areas.
“Going in for a yearly mammogram empowers me,” Dixie Sevison, BYU’s director of women’s resources, told the Universe. “I know I am being proactive in taking care of my health, and it also gives me a sense of peace knowing I’m okay.”
Sevison said Utah women may be dodging their annual screenings because of a lack of support from family and friends.
“When breast cancer is diagnosed early, the possibility of having a positive outcome is greater, she said. “To me, this makes going in for an annual mammogram screening a no-brainer.”
Read the full report here:
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.