Local health officials say Chatham-Kent has the lowest cervical cancer screening rates for women, 35-49, in all of the Erie St. Clair region.
Dr. Neerja Sharma, colposcopy lead with Cancer Care Ontario, thinks it has to do with a lack of awareness.
"We are working very hard to spread the word. I'm trying to ask my family physician colleagues if they have any suggestions how to capture this group," says Sharma, who also an OB/GYN with the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. "I will not say the number is surprising, but it is upsetting why one-third of our women are not coming forward."
In light of International Women’s Day on March 8, Sharma is urging women to get screened every three years, starting at 21 years old. While she says people without a family doctor fall through the cracks, there are always other options like the public health unit, walk-in clinics, or special pap clinics run by Cancer Care Ontario.
"Go get your pap smears on time. It saves lives," she says. "This is one of the cancers that, if picked-up early, we can almost cure it before it turns into cancer."