Goal: Pap Tests for all!

Another goal we have for our policy on HPV is that there be free Pap tests available for all women. So many women fail to get tested each year for a number of different reasons. Some do not have a family doctor, some do not have access to a clinic or hospital as they live in rural areas or are marginalized in the community (this may be due to poverty, being an immigrant or refugee, being Aboriginal, etc.). Also, many women simply are not educated on the importance of getting a pap test, or what a pap test actually does.

We will touch upon the educational component in a different blog, but we would like to stress the importance that women need to know what a pap test is, why they should get one, and where and how they can get one. We propose that all women should have the right to getting tested, and they should be able to do so once a year, for free. Women should be able to go to clinics or hospitals, and those who are marginalized or live in isolated areas should have access to testing sights. This may mean once a year running a clinic on native reserves, or in rural areas. Also, women should have the right to getting the results from their tests in a simple and timely manner. We understand that testing does take time, and their is a waiting period for results, we just want to make sure that abnormal pap tests are always reported.

Ensuring that all women receive pap tests would be extremely beneficial in reducing the spread of HPV, as well as cervical cancer. If a woman does test positive for HPV, she can be made aware of the infection, prevent infecting anyone else, and receive treatment. We believe that freedom and power is in knowledge.