Health Care Disparities Among Latina Patients Presenting With Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

IMPORTANCE: This study identifies barriers, including language and insurance status, Latina patients may face in accessing urogynecology care.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine differences in objective prolapse severity at the time of presentation between Latina and non-Latina patients and the effect socioeconomic disparities may have on these differences.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients visiting urogynecology clinics at 2 academic institutions (1 private, 1 public). Patients with symptomatic > stage II prolapse were included. Initial Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification examinations, leading edge of prolapse, and demographic data were extracted. We evaluated several socioeconomic factors for associations with prolapse severity in a multivariable analysis.

RESULTS: Three hundred forty-two patients were included (36% Latina). Twenty-eight percent were non-English speaking and 54% had public or no insurance. Using leading edge as the outcome, there was no objective difference in prolapse severity between the Latina and non-Latina patients. A higher proportion of patients with public insurance had more advanced prolapse compared with those with private insurance (odds ratio, 2.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-5.55; P < 0.01) and a higher proportion of non-English speaking had more advanced prolapse compared with English speakers (odds ratio, 2.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-5.34; P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS: Latina ethnicity was not a risk factor for more advanced prolapse at the time of initial evaluation in a urogynecology clinic. Rather, patients who were non-English speaking and had public insurance were more likely to present with more advanced prolapse. Our data suggest that language barriers and lower socioeconomic status are health care disparities for patients seeking care for prolapse.