Muslim Women and Disparities in Cancer Diagnosis: A Retrospective Study

• Published in: Journal of Muslim minority affairs Vol. 41; no. 3; pp. 541 - 547
• Main Authors: Namoos, Asmaa, Abosamak, Nour Eldin, Abdelkarim, Maryam, Ramadan, Rana, Phillips, Briona, Ramadan, Dina, Abdou, Mostafa, Gal, Tamas S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 2021; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Cancer; cancer prevention; cancer screening; Cervical cancer; Females; Gender roles; Gynecological cancer; Health care; Health insurance; Health services; Help seeking behavior; Marriage; Medical diagnosis; Medical screening; Muslim women; Muslims; Religious beliefs; Women; cancer prevention; Muslim women; cancer screening
• ISSN: 1360-2004; 1469-9591; 0266-6952
• DOI: 10.1080/13602004.2021.2008868

Muslim women often find their religious customs at odds with their healthcare needs, such as regular gynecological check-ups and cervical cancer screenings, especially before marriage. Religious beliefs may also affect beliefs about gender roles, illness and death, affecting seeking healthcare services. This retrospective study explored the differences in care-seeking related to cancer between Muslim women and the general female population at the Virginia Commonwealth University in the United States between 2010 and 2019. There were major differences in insurance status between the two cohorts. Muslim women were less likely to have government-sponsored health insurance and were much more likely to be uninsured than non-Muslim women. We also found that preventable female cancers were more prevalent among Muslim women than among non-Muslim women and was also diagnosed at more advanced stages.