Heather MacMillan, Pap Screening Program Coordinator with the Department of Health and Social Services, advised that over 90 percent of cervical cancer can be prevented if women are screened regularly. "By increasing the number of women being screened and reminding them to continue being tested, we can significantly reduce PEI's high rates of cervical cancer," she said. "Prevention is key, as most cervical cancer cases are found in women who have not been regularly screened. With early detection, cervical cancer can be prevented. Having regular Pap tests can save your life."

Islanders can expect to see television and radio commercials reminding women to call their doctor, or the Pap Screening Clinic in Cornwall, to arrange a Pap test if they have not recently been screened. As part of Pap Test Awareness Week, brochures, posters and magnets are also being distributed to the public through local pharmacies, physicians and public health nursing offices, family resource centres, shopping malls and hairdressers.

To increase access to regular screening, a Pap Screening Clinic at the Cornwall Medical Centre was opened last September. Women who have not had a Pap in the last two years can call the clinic toll-free at 1-866-818-7277(PAPS) or 368-2010 to book a Pap test performed by a trained registered nurse.

The awareness campaign is sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Services, the Medical Society of PEI, and the PEI Division of the Canadian Cancer Society.

For more information on the Pap Awareness Campaign or the Pap Screening Clinic, please contact Heather MacMillan at 368-4951.