Objective:

To measure health inequality in the use of screening services in adults from 20 to 59 years of age from the 2006 and 2012 national health and nutrition surveys.

Materials and methods:

Considering the selection of five indicators of screening in adults (detection of diabetes, hypertension, breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer), the Kuznets index, the slope inequality index and the health concentration index were estimated. Considering as social indicators schooling, ethnicity, unemployment, socioeconomic level and type of health protection.

Results:

The coverage of the five tests increased, but the inequality observed only decreased in the interventions in women; and in the case of the detection of prostate cancer it was increased.

Conclusions:

While it is important to monitor the performance of curative services, the challenge remains to ensure effective and equitable access to early diagnosis services.