Request a Cervical Screening Appointment or Self-Screening Kit

Regular cervical screening is the best way to protect yourself from cervical cancer. HPV (human papillomavirus) testing has replaced Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer on PEI. 

You can be screened in two different ways, depending on what feels most comfortable for you:

Option 1: Request a Cervical Screening Appointment

Use this online form to request an appointment for a cervical screening test at a cervical screening clinic in PEI. You can also request an appointment by calling the number for the clinic on the Cervical Screening Clinics web page. 

For more information about cervical screening see HPV Screening and Cervical Cancer Prevention.

What do I need to request an appointment?

You will need your PEI Health Card and your personal contact information.

What happens after I submit a request for an appointment?

The screening service will check your requested appointment date and time and will confirm by phone, text, email or letter.  

If the clinic is full, the screening service will notify you of the next available appointment.

Please do not show up at a clinic without a confirmed appointment.

What happens at an appointment? 

Please arrive five minutes prior to your appointment time.

You now have two options to choose from:

1. Have a cervical exam with a registered nurse who will collect a small sample of cells from the cervix.  
   or
2. Swab yourself with the HPV self-sampling kit in the comfort of your own privacy at the clinic. The nurse will need to ask you a few questions to confirm self-sampling is suitable for you.

Your visit will only include a test that screens for cervical cancer. It does not replace a complete physical examination by your primary care provider. 

To get ready for your screening test 

For two days before:  Do not use tampons, creams, or medicines in the vagina and do not have intercourse.

What happens after my appointment? 

The lab will analyze the sample to detect HPV strains more likely to cause cancer and send the results to your family doctor or nurse practitioner and the provincial screening service. 

The screening service will then send your test results and reminders for your next screening to your mailing address. (To update your address with Health PEI, call PEI Medicare at 1-800-321-5492).

Option 2: Cervical Self‑Screening (Self‑Collection) — At Home

(A private, simple option for people who prefer to collect their own sample)

Cervical Self‑Screening allows you to collect your own sample from the vagina (not the cervix) using a small swab:

• At home, with a kit provided by the screening service (if eligible)

For more information, visit Cervical Self-Screening.

Why and when to choose self‑screening?

Self‑Screening can be helpful if you:

• Feel uncomfortable with pelvic exams
• Have a history of trauma and want more control
• Are transgender, non-binary or you prefer privacy during screening
• Do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner
• Have trouble getting to appointments because of transportation, childcare, work or scheduling
• Live in a rural area and want a more convenient option
• Are part of a group that has been under‑screened or faced barriers to care in the past

Self‑Screening is NOT an option if:

• You are pregnant or recently gave birth
• You are experiencing symptoms
• You no longer have a cervix (for example, you had a hysterectomy)
• Your last result required follow-up, such as a colposcopy or a LBC (Pap) test
• You had certain abnormal results in the past, including treatment