Financial barriers stand in the way of breast cancer screening

ENAR

“If I am diagnosed with breast cancer, my husband would need to sell our house to pay the medical expenses,” says Hanaa, a 52-year-old woman from Abba, south Lebanon. Hanaa worries about not being able to afford the cost of breast cancer-related tests and treatment. Likewise, Zeina, a 45-year-old from Mina, north Lebanon, says, “We barely make it until the end of the month with the money that we get. We know that we have to do a mammogram, but we cannot afford it.” Many women, from regions across Lebanon, feel that they are struggling economically. A household income below minimum wage barely covers their essential needs, let alone pays for medical services. Hanaa and Zenia’s views, along with the other findings of this article, are based on research for my PhD thesis into the barriers to and facilitators of Lebanese women’s participation in breast cancer screening services. This research