new pop-up clinics offer barrier-free access to cervical screening across canada
3 minute read
cervical screening pop-ups allow anyone with a health card to freely book an appointment for cervical screening.
getty images
stay up to date on this topic
have you ever talked to a loved one about cervical screening? if your answer is no, that needs to change. everybody knows someone with a cervix, whether it’s you or a loved one, and having an open dialogue about cervical health involves talking about screening.
cervical screening is one of two viable and effective ways of preventing cervical cancer, as well as catching it early enough so that it can be treated well. the second is hpv vaccination, which is available nationwide for those aged nine and older.
the conversation surrounding cervical screening continues to gain momentum, but as cervical cancer rates continue to rise, it’s not as normalized as it should be according to teresa norris, founder and president of hpv global action.
with vaccines and regular cervical screening, it’s possible to eliminate cervical cancer altogether.
“australia is there, which means that there’s so few people that have cervical cancer in australia now that they’ve eliminated that as a problem for the country, which is what we’re all striving to do, is to have eliminated cervical cancer because of us taking advantage of these different programs that public health is doing both in the vaccine space and the cervical screening space,” she said.
screening and vaccination aren’t cures. but when used correctly, can ensure that no one needs a cure at all.
cervical screening pop-ups improving accessibility
in 2024, only 69 per cent of women participated in cervical screening. that leaves 21 per cent of the people you love, work with, or pass on the street unprotected against a possible case of cervical cancer. the data shows that it works. since it’s introduction, there have been fewer diagnoses and fewer deaths in the cervical cancer space.
a few reasons why people may forego adequate screening measures include a lack of primary care providers, which is a significant issue in canada right now, along with cultural or language barriers for newcomers, fear or stigma associated with cancer, or a low awareness of how and when they should be doing it.
advertisement
because of that, hpv global action, along with the women’s health coalition of canada, the society of gynecologic oncology of canada, the society of canadian colposcopists, and hologic inc, have partnered with clinics across the country to hold cervical screening pop-ups. these pop-up clinics give everyone with a health card the chance to book an appointment for cervical screening.
“the bottom line for all these clinics is that it’s now more accessible and convenient,” said norris.
the goal is to give women the chance to put their cervical health at the top of their priority list without the barriers they may face otherwise. each clinic is unique, according to norris, but they all share the same main goal: to get as many women screened as possible while educating them about the importance of making time for these regular screenings.
“it saves lives, because it’s an early detection tool for cervical cancer,” said norris. “it’s frustrating in this day and age, we still have women who are dying of cervical cancer, right? because we know that between vaccination and cervical screening, we can prevent and eliminate cervical cancer.”
a two-pronged approach to eliminate cervical cancer in canada
accessible cervical screening will make it much easier for people to significantly reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer, but adding vaccination on top of that can get canada closer to elimination status.
hpv vaccination is important for people of all genders, not just those with cervixes, because it doesn’t just protect against cervical cancer. it protects against nine other hpv-driven cancers, including anal, oropharyngeal, vaginal, vulvar, and penile cancer.
“we want a lot of women being screened, not just some women being screened. we want a lot of people to access those free hpv vaccination programs,” said norris. “we do have the science right now between vaccination and screening to really make a big change on how hpv impacts canadians across each of our provinces and territories.”
sponsored by:
wellspring cancer support
advertisement
she continued, “(it’s) a call to have more people recognize, maybe you don’t have a cervix. but you know somebody who does, and it’s an important tool. we can’t say that in any other space that we can eradicate or eliminate a cancer, and we can, so we should be amplifying that.”
share story
