Older generation 'will be hard to persuade'

Mammograms are less common than they should be due to reluctance by older women to undergo them and the fear of bad news.

Fear of bad news and reluctance among older women are among the reasons why mammograms are less common than they could be. While women interviewed on the streets of Abu Dhabi welcomed moves to make mammograms compulsory, they felt it would not be easy to persuade some people. Saree'a al Muhairy, 44, a housewife in Abu Dhabi, said she thought it a good idea in principle but women needed to feel that they were "doing it for themselves, not to get a card".

"If they're forced to do it, they won't go." She had been trying, so far unsuccessfully, to persuade her mother, aged about 70, to go for a check. "She insists that she won't live long anyway, so why need a card? It's almost like threatening them, and the women are resisting." Umm Omar, 31, human resources officer in Abu Dhabi, said personal experience had taught her the importance of regular screening.

"My aunt died of cancer, and it wasn't until it spread throughout her body did they discover that it was breast cancer." She had had a mammogram. "I was looking forward to it and relieved when it was over and knowing that nothing was wrong." Umm Mohammad, 40, a school principal in Al Ain, said she supported the idea, especially for older women. "I think it's a good decision, and I support it. I also urge women to do the test, especially the older women who aren't aware that they're risking their health."

When her school had laid on check-ups for the teachers, she said, most of the older women did not want one, even though it was free of charge. Amal Abu Obaid, 26, said she thought some women were reluctant to have mammograms because of fears about the safety of the procedure itself. She herself saw it as a positive step. "Many women get caught up in their everyday life and their work. So if they make it compulsory, a lot of women will have to go, who would otherwise have ignored it."

* The National