Cervical Cancer
Regular pap smears can detect abnormal cell growth in the cervix. A pap smear is simple medical test which should be done every year after a woman becomes sexually active. If there is a problem found, a doctor can prescribe treatments to stop it from developing into cancer. In developed countries, abnormal cell growth is usually detected and treated in this way. Women in developing countries often do not have access to health services where pap smears could be performed. If medical services do exist, women in developing countries often cannot afford the cost. This is sometimes also a problem for low income and minority (especially Hispanic and African American) women in the United States since the costs of tests may not be covered by health insurance, if they even have health insurance.