All my relations : patient oriented research for reconciliation and empowerment of Indigenous women’s experiences with cervical screening ...

• Main Author: Giovannoni, Marina
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2020
• Subjects: First Nations
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0389922; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0389922

Cervical cancer is caused by high risk strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), but is preventable through vaccination and screening. In British Columbia (BC), cervical cancer occurs predominantly in under screened women, and First Nations women have a 92% higher rate of invasive cervical cancer than non-First Nations women. The current standard of care in the province screening is via the Pap test; Indigenous women experience complex barriers to accessing Pap testing, which has contributed to the higher rates of cervical cancer. CervixCheck North (CCN) is a project in partnership with Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS) that offers under screened First Nations women in 11 Northern BC First Nations communities the option to self-collect a sample to be tested for the presence of cancer-causing HPV. This thesis explores the ability of patient oriented research, in combination with Indigenous methodologies to conduct ethical research in First Nations communities, and offers a qualitative review and ...