A new Gallup Poll has concluded that an estimated 72 million women in the U.S., more than 40%, skip or delay important doctor's appointments and recommended health screenings.

Poll findings show that 60% of women said they have a hard time marking their own health a priority.

T.J. Hills, author of "Sex, Drugs, Babies and Breast Cancer," tells News 12 she hopes her book inspires women to dive into the details of their own health.

"I had my own business, I had three kids, I had a husband who's never home. I was burning on, like, not two burners, but 12 burners when I only had one and I was blowing off my health. I was behind on the pap smear," says Hills.

Hills was diagnosed with a type of breast cancer fueled by estrogen and believes her body's estrogen metabolism dysfunction was a contributing factor.

Hills says an additional factor was not pursuing answers to her questions when she did not feel right.

"I am firmly convinced that if I had slowed down and prioritized my health and paid more attention to myself, I might have avoided this or had a much lesser cancer," says Hills.

Hills is not alone in struggling to book a pap smear appointment.

The poll found that 35% of women skip or delay their pap smears, which screen for cervical cancer.

Other findings include 33% of women do not receive a colorectal cancer screening and 41% do not get mammograms.