Understanding barriers to breast cancer screening for women with intellectual disabilities

Early detection of breast cancer is crucial, as it significantly increases the chances of successful treatment. In Sweden, all women aged 40 and over are regularly offered mammography screenings. However, women with intellectual disabilities participate in these screenings to a much lesser extent than women without such disabilities.

To better understand the reasons behind this disparity, Päivi Adolfsson, Cecilia Arving, and Marie Lange conducted an interview study with women with intellectual disabilities, exploring their experiences with preventive breast health care. The findings are presented in the article:

Adolfsson, P., Arving, C., & Lange, M. (2025). Preventive breast health care, an embarrassing subject for women with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/17446295251326010