|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
02/19: Women in their 20’s not getting regular Pap tests
New BC Cancer Agency campaign targets young women
Cervical cancer is highly preventable with regular Pap tests. Yet, many young women are neglecting to have this life-saving test done.
The BC Cancer Agency’s Cervical Cancer Screening Program (CCSP) found that approximately 34 percent of B.C. women in their early 20’s are not having regular Pap tests. In fact, the percentage has increased by 12 percent over the last six years alone.
Today, the BC Cancer Agency, with support from the BC Centre for Disease Control, launches an awareness campaign targeted at young women to boost participation rates in the CCSP. As part of the campaign, young women are asked a simple, straightforward question, “So, how is your Cervix? If you can’t answer, it’s time for a Pap test.”
“We want to educate women that regular screening with a Pap test is the best way to find cell changes early, before they develop into cervical cancer,” says Dr. Dirk van Niekerk, Medical Leader for the BC Cancer Agency’s CCSP. “We are using innovative approaches to reach this target group such as placing thought-provoking posters in public washrooms and launching a series of radio ads to remind young women of the importance of Pap tests.”
The campaign includes:
- Posters, promoting regular Pap tests, to be installed in washrooms of restaurants, bars and night clubs in the Lower Mainland and other major urban centres across B.C.
- Two pamphlets for women in general: 1) Protecting yourself with regular Pap tests and 2) HPV and cervical cancer
- Two booklets for physicians to hand to patients: 1) Preventing Cervical Cancer and 2) Abnormal Pap Test
- A series of radio ads
Jessica Bouchard, diagnosed with cervical cancer at the age of 26 in 2002, knows just how important regular Pap tests are.
With a fast-paced career and an active, healthy lifestyle, Bouchard did not think twice that a routine Pap test would show anything but normal results. Instead, the results indicated an abnormality in her cervix, and subsequent testing confirmed that she had cervical cancer.
“Everything in my life was going well and suddenly I had to question my future and whether I could have children,” says Bouchard, who was diagnosed with cancer the day after her husband proposed to her. “Despite this harsh reality, I’m thankful I was diligent about getting regular Pap tests. I was able to get the necessary treatment and surgery to remove the cancer completely.”
“So many of us don’t recognize the significance of a Pap test,” adds Bouchard. “It’s a simple exam that takes a matter of minutes, and it can save your life.”
Seven out of 10 cervical cancers can be prevented with regular Pap tests. If a cancer is found, it is usually found at an early stage when treatment can be very successful. In 2004, 2,439 women under age 30 were found to have moderate or more severe cell changes on their Pap tests. An estimated 160 women in B.C were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2006.
Established in 1949, the BC Cancer Agency’s Cervical Cancer Screening Program is the first organized population-based program in the world to screen for cervical cancer. Over time, the CCSP has succeeded in reducing incidence rates from cervical cancer by over 70 percent.
For more information, please contact:
Jinny Wu
Communications Specialist
BC Cancer Agency
604.877.6272
Toll-free: 1.800.663.3333, ex 6272
jwu2@bccancer.bc.ca
|
|
|