Younger women are still not financially protecting themselves against breast cancer, the most common cancer in the UK, Friends Life has warned.
The figures from Friends Life - released to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month - found that women under 34 are among the least likely to have any protection insurance.Just 16% of women aged 18-34 have any cover in place.
Colin Williams, managing director of workplace and intermediated at Friends Life said:"Young people now have to stretch their finances more and more with increasing levels of student debt and the cost of climbing onto the property ladder,"
"But younger women do need to bear in mind what financial responsibilities they have and what would happen if they were unable to work for an extended period of time."
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer with more than 50 thousand people diagnosed with the disease each year.
For women aged up to 29 there is a 1 in 2000 chance of developing breast cancer, but that falls to 1 in 215 by the time a woman reaches 39.
Among women aged under 34, life insurance is the most popular form of protection. However, only 13% actually have the cover, Friends Life's research found.
That falls to 5% for critical illness policies and less than 3% for income protection.
Friends Life added the problems highlighted by a lack of protection insurance are compounded by the lack of savings among the same age group.
Half of women aged 18-34 have £2,500 or less in savings and investments meaning they don't have much to fall back on if they are out of work with illness.
Friends Life own claim figures from the past two years show that the company has made critical illness pay outs for breast cancer to women as young as 27. In total, Friends Life paid out just under £50m to women with the illness during 2012 and 2013.
