Providing that you are registered with a GP, you will receive a letter from your GP surgery or your local primary care trust (PCT) asking you to make an appointment for a cervical screening test.
You can have the smear test at your GP surgery or family planning clinic. Most women choose to go to their GP or practice nurse. You can ask to have a female doctor or nurse if you would prefer one.
It is best to have the screening test in the middle of your menstrual cycle (between periods), so you should book your appointment to coincide with this.
The screening test
The cervical screening test usually takes around five minutes to carry out. You will be asked to undress from the waist down and lie on a couch. The doctor or nurse will gently put an instrument, called a speculum, into your vagina. This holds the walls of the vagina open so that the cervix can be seen. A small brush-like instrument will be used to gently collect some cells from the surface of your cervix.
The procedure may be a bit uncomfortable or embarrassing, but for most women it is not painful. If you find the test painful, tell the doctor or nurse because they may be able to reduce your discomfort. Try to relax as much as possible because being tense makes the test more difficult to carry out. Taking slow, deep breaths will help.
In the laboratory
In recent years, the process of taking cell samples has been improved to make it more accurate. The cell sample is now taken using liquid-based cytology (LBC), rather than the Pap (Papanicolaou) smear test that was used previously.
The head of the brush on which your cells have been collected is broken off into a small pot of preservative liquid or rinsed directly into the preservative liquid.
The sample will then be sent to a laboratory where it will be treated to remove any other material that may have been picked up, such as mucus or blood. It is then examined under a microscope to see whether there are any abnormal cells.
Research has shown that this new method of collecting and testing a sample of cells is more accurate than the Pap smear test and decreases the number of inadequate screening results. This means you are less likely to be called back for a repeat screening because your test was unclear.
Read more about the results of cervical screening.
