One of the study's most revealing findings was that three in five women aged 18 and over reported risk behavior in at least one of the identified risk factor categories of smoking, diet, exercise, and alcohol or drug use. Yet, the majority had not been asked about these behaviors during their last checkup. In another study of health-seeking behavior, women with abnormal Pap smears were more likely to get followup than women with normal results, but two out of five did not get followup care. A study involving cervical cancer control showed that even with followup, many women did not complete all recommended treatments. Similarly, a hormone replacement study concluded that prescribing physicians should be aware of the noncompliance rates and try to increase their patients' adherence to therapy.
Women mention transportation and cost difficulties, scheduling problems, and motivational issues.
The very programs that could most effectively increase screening rates sometimes have had to limit recruitment because the demand for clinical services exceeds the resources. In other cases, financial constraints prevent key services from being publicized and provided to all eligible women and limit the ability of women to enter the health system. Access and insurance are critical issues for a number of reasons. Women on the average earn less than men and make up a larger portion of the population holding jobs that usually do not have health insurance. Many women rely on their spouses for health insurance and risk being dropped if they are divorced or widowed.