Introduction

Cancer is a scary word in our communities. Cancers involving our sexual and reproductive organs can be especially hard to deal with because of the embarrassment we feel in talking about these parts of our bodies, and sometimes misinformation about why and how people get cancer. For women, however, breast and cervical cancer are important sexual health issues, just as prostate and testicular cancer are important for men to think about.

Residential schools had a big impact on attitudes. Aboriginal people learned to repress their sexuality in the schools. They also lost respect for themselves, and this makes self-care difficult. So they often don’t get screened for cancer.

Our Grandmothers and Grandfathers are the ones I worry about the most because they are a group that is not being targeted for health promotion. Many of our health care workers are embarrassed to ask an older woman if she understands or participates in annual cancer screening. Many of our older community members have not been told why annual cancer screening is so important. Cree nurse living in British Columbia

Awareness campaigns can teach women and men of all ages how self-awareness and regular testing can help prevent serious health problems. Many Aboriginal people believe that their sexual health is a very private matter. This makes public education campaigns and discussions about reproductive cancers very difficult. Culturally sensitive written materials can be one effective way to overcome this barrier. Elders can set a positive example for the young, by participating in and talking about cancer prevention and early treatment in their communities. This teaches respect for the body as the sacred house of the spirit.

The long distances between most communities and properly equipped treatment centres often prevent Aboriginal people from getting the medical care they need. Better support programs for patients and their families who have to travel long distances for treatment may help them make the decision to go for cancer treatment in the early stages of the disease.

Breast Cancer

I would like to tell other women to be brave. I thought that people with cancer died right away, and I would have to leave my kids behind. I hope my daughters never get it. They know how to look for the lumps. I have three granddaughters.¹ (click here for footnote)


As recently as 20 years ago, breast cancer was uncommon among Aboriginal women. Now breast cancer rates are about the same as for non-Aboriginal women: one in nine women will develop breast cancer, and one in twenty-seven will die of the disease. Breast cancer that is detected early through breast self-exam and mammography screening can be successfully treated.

Some things that reduce the risk of getting breast cancer are eating less fat, keeping a healthy body weight and drinking less than two alcohol drinks a day.

Aboriginal women need to learn how important it is to practise breast self-examination and participate in breast cancer screening programs. Breast self-examination is something every woman can do for herself so cancer can be detected earlier and treated. She can learn what is normal for her breasts, and then be able to notice changes. The older a woman is, the more important this becomes. Mammography, or breast cancer screening, is an x-ray of the breast.

Old women should talk to their health care providers about getting a regular mammogram.² (click here for footnote)

Cervical Cancer

My advice to young women is don’t be afraid to ask anything. Ask exactly what the doctor is doing. Ask the doctor why they are doing it, what are PAP tests done for? Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s your body and you have to feel confident you know what’s going on. The more you learn, the more confident you can be.
Young Métis woman from British Columbia


Cervical cancer is more common among Aboriginal than non-Aboriginal women. Cancer of the cervix (the neck of the womb or uterus) can result from abnormal changes in the cells in the cervix. Changes that can lead to cancer can be detected by a PAP test. All women who have ever been sexually active should have a regular PAP test. It is a simple test that is done in the doctor’s office or health centre.

Women can reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer by delaying their first sexual activity, limiting the number of sexual partners, using condoms and not smoking. However, poor access to health care services, embarrassment and a lack of understanding of the importance of screening for their overall health, prevent a majority of Aboriginal women from having regular cancer screening done.³ (click here for footnote)

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in Canadian men. Generally, it affects men over 50 years old. More than 65 percent of new cases are found in men over 70. One in eight men will get prostate cancer in his lifetime, and one in twenty-eight will die from this type of cancer. The prostate is a gland located just below the bladder and it produces the fluid that carries sperm. Since changes that are a normal part of aging (such as needing to urinate often, and pain or burning when we urinate) can also be signs of prostate cancer, it is important that men report these changes to their doctors. Men over the age of 40 should have a regular medical examination that includes monitoring changes in the prostate gland. If you do have prostate cancer, your treatment will depend on your age, your health and how the cancer has developed. Unfortunately, it can be hard for older men to talk about these things.

	When you’re raised to feel ashamed of yourself, you don’t want to drop your pants in front of anyone, much less a female doctor. Prostate cancer is just not something that I’ve ever heard anyone in my community talking about.
The inhibitions themselves are one thing, and the other is — I don’t know what others are like, but my female doctor sends me to a male doctor [for prostate cancer screening]. She is uncomfortable. Nurses in nursing stations up north for example, maybe they don’t want to do it either. And what if they are the only health care providers around? Older Métis man