If you are aged between 25 and 65, it is extremely important to be regularly screened for cervical cancer.
The screening, often called the ‘smear test’ is a simple test, which can be carried out by your GP, and takes very little time to do. While some women are anxious that it may be painful, it rarely causes anything other than slight discomfort.
The smear test is performed to look for any changes in the skin covering the cervix and is not, as many people think, a test to detect cancer.
Sometimes your test may show up an abnormality, which may or may not result in you being referred to a gynaecologist. One of the most common tests the gynaecologist is likely to carry out is a colposcopy, which involves examining your cervix with a special microscope.
In England, all GP surgeries have a call-recall register, which ensures that all women aged 25-65 receive a reminder when their smear test is due and also the test result.
Over four million cervical smear tests are carried out each year and about 10% of these tests show an abnormality which may require referral to a gynaecologist.
