Millennial men are the most likely to not have a primary care physician, a report from Statistics Canada found.
In figures released Thursday, the agency said 33 per cent of 18 to 34 year old men did not have a primary care physician, compared to 15 per cent in the general population.
Overall, millennials and men of every age group were the least likely to have a family doctor.
The agency found that overall, 19 per cent of men did not have a family doctor, compared to 12 per cent of women.
On average, 26 per cent of millennials did not have a family doctor, compared to just 6 per cent of those 65 years old and over.
B.C. had fewer people with family doctors compared to the rest of the country, with 18 per cent of people not having a family doctor – three per cent over the national average.
READ MORE: B.C. launches plan to tackle doctor shortage
READ MORE: B.C. primary care aims to reduce swelling in hospital ER
Quebec had the biggest issue with finding family doctors, as 22 per cent of the population did not have a primary care physician.
The easiest place to find a family doctor in Canada was New Brunswick, where only six per cent of the population did without.
The agency found that urban residents had a tougher time finding a family doctor than those living in rural regions.
Thirty per cent of the 4.7 million Canadians who did not have a primary care physician had not tried to find one. Another 25 per cent told surveyors they didn’t need one but had a place they went to when they did need care.
No family doctor, no checkups
Statistics Canada found Canadians who didn’t have a family doctor were less likely to get flu shots or cancer screenings.
In 2017, 36 per cent of Canadians with a primary care physician got their flu shot, compared to just 15 per cent of those without one.
Nearly double the percentage of older Canadians with a family doctor got their colorectal cancer screening, compared with those without, with similar percentages being seen in older women with family doctors getting mammograms compared to those without.
All ages groups of women were less likely to get a pap smear if they did not have a primary care physician.
