Opt clinic raising money to help women
By Boundary Sentinel
After successful Pap-a-looza events in 2010, Boundary Options for Sexual Health (Opt) Clinic needs to raise hundreds of dollars to hold two more in 2011. What is Pap-a-looza? Pap-a-looza is a chance to have your pap test done by local nurses with special training in reproductive health and pap smears. Pap-a-looza is a partnership between Opt and the B.C. Cancer Agency. Last year, Dr. Sebastian in Grand Forks and Dr. Ooi in Midway donated clinic space and supplies for Pap-a-looza. Pharmasave and Value Drug Mart also donated gifts for women who came for a pap test. “The board of directors of Boundary Opt has been fundraising for a couple of years now to be able to hold Pap-a-looza events,” said Linda Manzon, public health nurse and Opt clinic volunteer. “Our last Pap-a-looza clinics in both Grand Forks and Midway were fully booked. We need to raise several hundred dollars to top up the money we have set aside in order to hold Pap-a-looza in the spring and again in the fall in both communities and to create a fund to move forward to 2012.” A high-risk type of the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of most cases of cervical cancer. Regular pap testing can detect this early and help women successfully beat the cancer. Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in women worldwide. Nearly 80 percent of cervical cancer cases are in developing countries without organized screening programs. Prevention is everything. The problem for many women is lack of time. So many women have put off getting a pap for years because of being so busy with work, child care, or school. For many women today, taking the time out of a packed schedule to care for their health is a rare event, even though regular health checks are a necessity. The pap-a-looza events sponsored by Opt give Boundary women an opportunity to get their test in a comfortable atmosphere with female clinicians at times that work for them. On June 11, Boundary Opt will be holding a bake and garage sale. Any donations of baked items or garage sale items gratefully accepted. Any monetary donations will be issued an income tax receipt. Please contact Nancy Perry at 250-442-3370 or at nancyperry@rogers.com. For More Information about cervical screening, the Lace campaign and Pap-a-looza, go here: http://campaigns.hellocoolworld.com/index.cfm?campaign_id=13&campaign_page_id=160
