The NHS Cervical Screening Programme in England offers free tests to all women aged between 25 and 64 who are registered with their GP.
Women should normally be invited for a smear test at the following times:
- At the age of 25 they will receive their first invitation for screening.
- Women aged 25 to 49 are invited for screening every three years.
- Women aged 50 to 64 are invited for screening every five years.
- Women aged 65 or over are only screened if they have not been screened since they were 50 or if they have had recent abnormal test results.
If you have not had a cervical screening test within the appropriate time, you may be offered one when you next visit your GP or family planning clinic.
Make sure that your GP has your correct name and address and let them know of any changes so they can contact you when you are due to have a screening test.
If you are not registered with a GP surgery, or if you prefer, you can arrange to have a cervical screening test at a well woman clinic, family planning clinic or at the genito-urinary medicine (GUM) department of your local hospital. You can use the FPA's postcode finder to find your nearest clinic.
If you have treatment for abnormal cervical cells after your screening test, you will be asked to attend screening once a year for some years afterwards, depending on how serious the cell changes are.
If you are not sure when your next screening test should be, or if you have any questions about the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, ask your GP or practice nurse or visit the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes website.
When a screening test may not be needed
Cervical cancer is rare in the following groups of women, who therefore may not need cervical screening.
Sexually inactive women
The risk of cervical cancer is very low in women who have never had sex. As the risk is so low, women in this group may choose not to have one when invited.
However, if you are not currently in a sexual relationship but have been in the past, it is recommended that you have regular cervical screening.
Women aged 65 and over
Women aged 65 and over who have had three normal test results in a row are not invited for further cervical screening tests. This is because it is very unlikely that women in this group will go on to develop cervical cancer.
If you are over 64 and have had abnormal test results, you will continue to be invited for screening until the cells return to normal. Women aged 65 and over who have never had screening are entitled to a test.
If you have never had a screening test and you have been sexually active, you should have a test regardless of what age you are.
Women who have had a hysterectomy
Women who have had a total hysterectomy (an operation to remove the womb and cervix) will no longer be invited to attend cervical screening.
Women who have had a hysterectomy that has left all or part of the cervix in place will be invited for screening once their post-operative care has finished.
Women who have had a total hysterectomy to treat cancer, or who had cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN, a type of cervical cell change that can lead to cancer) at the time of having a total hysterectomy, may need another test called a vault smear.
This is where a sample of cells is taken from the vagina, close to where the cervix used to be. Vault sampling is part of the follow-up treatment for hysterectomy but is not part of the cervical screening programme.
