Cervical Screening Week 2024
Janine Webster
Cervical screening saves at least 2000 lives annually in the UK. Also known as a Smear Test, cervical screening examines the cervix which is the opening of your womb at the top of your vagina. It's not a test for cancer, it's a test to help prevent cancer.
Who is eligible?
Cervical Screening is available to females and anyone with a cervix. Those eligible will receive an invite through the post by the NHS national cervical screening programme from the age of 24.5 to 64. Testing is carried out every 3 years until the age of 50 and then every 5 years until the age of 64.
Where is the test carried out?
At Bupa, cervical screening is included within the Be.Reassured and Be.Ahead health assessments and also the Targeted Cancer Screening service which includes a physical breast examination to screen for any signs of breast cancer.
What to expect
1. The test will take approximately 1-2 minutes where a small sample of cells will be taken from your cervix.
2. The nurse or doctor will tell you when you can expect your results letter.
3. The sample is checked for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause changes to the cells of your cervix. These are called "high risk" types of HPV.
4. If these types of HPV are not found, you do not need any further tests.
5. If these types of HPV are found, the sample is checked for any changes in the cells of your cervix with further testing. If necessary, treatment can be administered to reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer.
Click here to see a video of what happens during a cervical screening appointment.
Further questions?
Contact Janine via email at janine.webster@bupa.com