SUDBURY, ON – Cervical cancer can be prevented. Regular Pap tests are an essential defense against this disease. That’s the message of this month’s North East Aboriginal Pap Test Campaign.
The Northeast Cancer Centre (NECC) of Health Sciences North/Horizon Santé-Nord, in collaboration with the North East Aboriginal Cancer Screening Network, is launching the campaign to facilitate easy access to Pap testing for women who will benefit from this safe and simple screening test.
The goal of the North East Aboriginal Pap Test Campaign is twofold:
· Raise awareness about cervical cancer and the importance of Pap tests.
· Improve accessibility to a vital test for women who may not have a health care provider or who face other barriers to cervical cancer screening.
All women 21 years of age and older who are or have ever been sexually active and who haven’t had a Pap test in the last three years, are encouraged to be screened at one of the 16 public Pap test clinics being offered across the North East region in First Nation communities. For the list of clinics, visit www.hsnsudbury.ca .
“In Ontario, First Nation women are more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer than their provincial counterparts, likely due to low uptake of regular cervical cancer screening,” says Dr. Annelind Wakegijig, Regional Aboriginal Cancer Lead, NECC. “It is important that First Nations women access Pap testing regularly in order to prevent cervical cancer or find cancer early enough for it be successfully treated.”
Regular screening with the Pap test is an essential defense against cervical cancer and is the best way to detect cell changes, at an early stage, on the cervix caused by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
“Holding these public Pap test clinics is our way of helping women in various First Nation communities access a service that can help prevent cervical cancer and is essential to their good health. There is no reason for women to suffer needlessly from this largely preventable cancer,” adds Nicole Gauthier, the NECC’s Regional Coordinator, Integrated Cancer Screening and Promotion.
WHO SHOULD BE SCREENED?
WHY GET A PAP TEST?
The Pap test detects cervical cell changes caused by persistent Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infections which can lead to cervical cancer, overtime, if not detected and treated. In Ontario, approximately 610 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2013 and 150 died from the disease in the same year. The good news is that cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable with regular screening, timely follow-up of abnormal results and human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization.
To learn more about cervical cancer screening in Ontario visit, www.cancercare.on.ca/cervscreening/