October marks National Cervical Cancer Awareness Week and to help encourage cervical cancer screening members of the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario in partnership with Queen’s University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology program are hitting the road for the annual Pap Party pop-up cervical cancer screening clinics.

Now in its eighth year, Pap Party travels to communities across southeastern Ontario to provide pap tests to people with a cervix who don’t have a family doctor or nurse practitioner and are overdue for their pap smear.

“For those who do not have a family physician, these Pap Parties are a great opportunity to be screened for cervical cancer in a fast, supportive and convenient fashion,” says Dr. Hugh Langley, Regional Primary Care Lead at CCSEO. “The pap smear takes just 10 minutes and can detect minor, easily treatable changes in the cervix, well before any cancer can develop.”

Cervical cancer affects hundreds of people each year in Ontario, and having regular cervical screening can find abnormal cells that could become cancer (called pre-cancers). Finding these pre-cancers and treating them can help prevent cervical cancer.​ In previous years, around 15 per cent of the pap smear tests done at these clinics showed abnormalities that required further follow-up with a physician.

This year’s Pap Party pop up clinics will be held in Belleville and Kingston. Each Pap Party is staffed by Queen’s University medical students, residents, gynecologists and gynecologic oncologists and staff from the CCSEO. 

• Kingston (Kingston Health Sciences Centre – 25 King St. W) October 25, 5:30 pm-8:00 pm
• Belleville (Hastings Prince Edward Public Health - 179 North Park St) October 26, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Anyone with a cervix, over the age of 25 and without a family doctor or nurse practitioner who is interested in booking an appointment at any of the above clinic locations is asked to call Taryn at 613-549-6666 extension 6071 or PapParty@KingstonHSC.ca