About 4.4 million women are invited for cervical screening each year in England and about 24,000 have a severely abnormal cervical screening result. Early treatment can prevent those cervical changes developing into cancer.

Cervical screening is not a test for cancer. It is a method of preventing cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities which, if left untreated, could lead to cancer in a woman’s cervix (the neck of the womb). The first stage in cervical screening is taking a sample which some people know as a ‘smear test’. Although it is a little uncomfortable a smear test should not be painful and usually only takes a few minutes.

Because cervical cancer most commonly occurs in over 25yrs, all women between the ages of 25 and 64 are eligible for a free cervical screening test every three to five years. Your GP should send you a letter to remind you to book your appointment.

For further information please go to the Cancer Research UK website.