November 5 is going to be a Pap Test Screening Day, which is beneficial for women, who do not have a family physician or who didn’t undergo a Pap test in two years. It will be held at the Comox Valley Nursing Centre and the women are being motivated to be a part of the program.

A nurse practitioner will carry out Pap screens. Those, who want to register for the same can call at 250-331-8502, ext. 38130.

Dr. Dee Hoyano, Medical Health Officer with the Vancouver Island Health Authority stated that with regular and early Pap screening, it becomes easy to prevent cervical cancer.

“Taking a few minutes out of your day once a year to have a simple Pap test can save your life”, said Dr. Hoyano.

In Canada, every year, around 1,500 women are detected with cervical cancer and nearly 400 succumb to it. If the annual screening is followed, up to 90% of cases of cervical cancer can be prevented. But, in the past two years, one in five B. C. women didn’t undergo Pap screening.

In the Pap test screening, abnormal cells on the cervix are identified. If the abnormal cells are detected early then the treatment can halt the development of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer can also be prevented with the help of the HPV vaccine, but Pap screening is considered as the beneficial tool in diagnosing the disease, so that better treatment can be followed.