A number of clinics will be held in the next few months to help address a backlog of local women who need cervical cancer screening. The first such clinic will be held Oct. 28 at the Algoma Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic at 443 Northern Ave.
The clinics are being offered to help address a backlog of the procedure.
Juli Briglio is a nurse practitioner at the clinic. She says she is often asked about availability for the procedure in the community.
“People will stop me on the street and ask me ‘where can I go to get a pap smear?’ It’s very distressing for them, they are very aware they have to get these tests done,” said Briglio. “For women, cervical cancer screening is a huge part of our health and a large percentage of our community is not being serviced.”
The biggest issue, said Briglio, is access. Thousands of women in Sault Ste. Marie do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner to see regularly, making it more difficult for them to stay on top of the need for it.
“Nobody loves to get a pap smear done, but everyone knows they need to get one done. They will come, even knowing that it is uncomfortable and sometimes painful, they will still make the effort to get the screening test done. There are very few who refuse to get a pap test,” said Briglio.
Dominic Noel, executive director of the Algoma Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, said cervical cancer screening was down about 64 per cent during the early months of the pandemic.
“The screening has picked up significantly to the point where we actually have a backlog to actually process the samples that are sent,” he said.
Early detection is key, said Noel.
“The importance of screening early is so crucial because what we are looking at is survival rates. The sooner we actually diagnose this cancer, the higher the probability of survival,” said Noel. “If we can catch the cancer in the first stage, for example, the five-year survival is between 80 and 93 per cent. This is why we are really keen on making this service available to women in our region.”
The screening is available for all women over the age of 21, but those under 25 should speak to a nurse practitioner or family doctor to see if one is required, said Noel. After the first screening, women should get one every three years until at least the age of 70.
A total of 100 spaces will be open for the clinic on Oct. 28, those interested can call 705 942-4717 x3006.
Algoma Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic is just one of the Ontario Health Team partners who will be holding the clinics. Noel said in December the Superior Family Health Team will be offering a similar clinic and in March the Group Health Centre is also expected to hold one.
Briglio said she likes to ensure people are aware of the HPV vaccine for prevention.
“HPV is the number one cause of cervical cancer and aside from that it also causes cancer in other parts, like the mouth, the throat and anal-genital area. The screening generally — not just for cervical cancer — is an important piece, as well,” she said.
The HPV vaccine is available for females age nine to 45 and for males age nine to 26.
“HPV is the number one cause of cervical cancer and aside from that it also causes cancer in other parts, like the mouth, the throat and anal-genital area. The screening generally — not just for cervical cancer — is an important piece, as well,” said Briglio.
