Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mammogram Frequency Among Women With Intellectual Disability.

Arana et al. (2019) looked at 1,200 women with intellectual disability in the U.S. They asked how often each woman had a mammogram in the last two years. Then they checked race, age, state, and level of disability.

The team used mailed surveys and phone follow-ups. They wanted to see if Hispanic and Black women got screened less often than White women.

The opposite happened. Hispanic and Black women with ID had higher mammography rates than White peers.

Women aged 50-plus, those living in certain states, and those with mild or moderate ID also had more mammograms.

Perry et al. (2024) and Samtani et al. (2021) both show cancer awareness and care for adults with ID is still poor. These reviews include the 2019 data, so the higher screening rates here do not mean the problem is solved.

Tsakanikos et al. (2010) found ethnic minority adults with ID were referred to mental-health services earlier and more often. Arana et al. (2019) flips the pattern: minority women get more preventive care, not less. The difference is the service type—mental-health versus cancer screening.

Kim et al. (2024) shows Black and Hispanic students with autism are often labeled under ID instead of autism. The 2019 paper extends this disparity lens to show minority women with ID are actually accessing some health services more, not less.

Do not assume White clients always have better access. Pull your caseload, flag women 50-plus with ID, and check last mammogram dates. If White clients lag, schedule them first.