Why worry about awareness in choice problems? Econometric analysis of screening for cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and curable forms of cancer. Since 1991 there has been a concerted effort in Australia to recommend and encourage women to have Pap smears every two years. Part of the success of this National Cervical Screening Program can be gauged by exploring the determinants of screening for cervical cancer among high-risk women and by addressing the specific question of whether screening is associated with socio-economic status. Accessibility to health services remains a core goal in health policy in Australia but evidence on whether the goal is being met is limited. Using unit record data from the 1995 National Health Survey, an econometric model is developed for whether women have ever screened or not. A proportion of women in the sample contend that they have never heard of a Pap test. The analysis characterizes this group of women and accounts for their presence in our modelling