Papapalooza, a pop-up clinic that gives people access to cervical cancer screening, is coming to Prince George next weekend and is open for bookings.
The event is a national initiative to improve access to potentially life-saving pap smears that was started during the pandemic.
Hannah Le Bouder, a UBC Northern Medical Program (NMP) student and Papapalooza organizer, said many women who need these tests done can’t access them for a variety of reasons.
“They don’t have access to a primary care provider, or they feel uncomfortable accessing them. It is obviously an invasive process, some people with a cervix don’t feel comfortable going to their regular family provider,” she explained.
It is recommended that anyone with a cervix between 25-69 have a smear done once every three years.
This is the first time a Papapalooza has been held in Prince George, but similar events have had success in Nanaimo, Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, and Ottawa, with more on their way nationally.
Le Bouder said they are hoping to see between 100 and 160 patients come through the clinic.
It will be held on June 3 at the Central Interior Native Health building from 12:00 until 4:00.
You can book an appointment here.