Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

There is little research on how a cervical cancer diagnosis financially impacts women and their families in Uganda, including the burden of out-of-pocket costs. This study aims to describe the financial impact of cervical cancer treatment on women and their families. We conducted our study at the Uganda Cancer Institute and Jinja Regional Referral Hospital from September 19, 2022 to January 17, 2023. Women were allowed to participate in our study if they were over 18 years old, being treated for cervical cancer, and able to provide consent. All participants answered a survey which included questions about their out-of-pocket costs, unpaid household labor, and changes in their family's financial situation. We also calculated their social-economic standing (SES) from what household items they owned and grouped participants into the categories of higher SES and lower SES based on their responses. In all, 155 participants from the higher SES and 183 from the lower SES completed the survey. Women from the lower SES were more likely to be older in age, have less than a primary school education, and have a more advanced stage of cervical cancer. Over 90% of women in both groups reported paying out-of-pocket for cervical cancer care. However, among all the participants, only 15 stopped treatment because they could not afford it. Women of a lower SES were significantly more likely to report borrowing money and selling possessions to pay for cancer care. With regards to unpaid household labor, women from both groups reported decreasing the amount of time that they spent caring for their children since their cervical cancer diagnosis. The results of this study demonstrate that Ugandan women, regardless of their SES, have out-of-pocket costs related to their cervical cancer treatment. However, there are inequities as women from the lower SES groups were more likely to borrow funds to afford treatment.