Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Cervical cancer (CC) is a preventable and yet significant global health concern. Globally, Indigenous women have significantly higher rates of late stage CC and mortality than non-Indigenous women. With high numbers of Indigenous women living in the northern areas of British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario, a closer examination is warranted of access, use, and awareness about cervical screening for Indigenous women in these provinces as well as exploring effective engagement strategies to increase cervical screening participation. Recognizing that Indigenous people's health is deeply impacted by social determinants including colonization and its resultant intergenerational traumas, the HPV-SSN Working Group interested in documenting the role of community- and arts-based approaches and innovative interventions to promote participation in cervical cancer screening for Indigenous women. Specifically, the HPV-SSN group is interested in exploring the preference and acceptability of the HPV self-sample test for unscreened or poorly screened women and telehealth options in healthcare settings, communities, and nations in northern BC, MB, and ON.