However, there is a variation in access for women in urban versus rural areas and by region. When asked how available medical services are in their area, 75% of women in urban areas say they are easily available compared to 62% of rural women (Figure 3). Women in Beirut also report the easiest access, followed by Mount Lebanon and the North. While very few women in any region of Lebanon say medical services are completely lacking, nearly one-third of women in the North (28%), Bekaa (31%), South (35%), and Nabatieh (32%) say medical services are not easily available (Figure 4).
When looking at frequency of visits to healthcare providers we see few women and men go for preventative care. Nearly half of women (49%) and men (45%) go only when they are sick and one third of women (32%) and men (38%) only go when they are very ill or when there is an emergency (Figure 6).