The short version
- Screening is every five years from 25 to 74 for anyone with a cervix who has ever been sexually active
- The test now looks for HPV, the virus that causes almost all cervical cancer
- Self-collection is available to everyone eligible and is as accurate for detecting HPV
- Having had the HPV vaccine does not remove the need to screen
What changed, and why
The old Pap smear looked for cell changes that had already happened. The current Cervical Screening Test looks for human papillomavirus — the virus that causes almost all cervical cancer — which means it detects risk earlier in the process.
Because HPV testing picks up risk sooner and more reliably, the interval moved from two years to five, and the starting age moved to 25. Fewer tests, detecting more.
Who should screen, and when
Every five years from 25 to 74, for anyone with a cervix who has ever been sexually active. That includes people who have had the HPV vaccine, people who are no longer sexually active, people in same-sex relationships, and people who have gone through menopause.
If you have had a hysterectomy, whether you still need screening depends on the reason and whether the cervix was removed — ask your GP rather than assuming.
Symptoms are different from screening. Unusual bleeding — between periods, after sex, or after menopause — should be assessed promptly regardless of when your last screening test was.
Self-collection, in practice
You take the sample yourself, with a simple swab, in a private room at the clinic. No speculum, no examination, and nobody else in the room. For detecting HPV it is as accurate as a sample taken by a clinician.
It is available to everyone eligible for screening, and it was introduced precisely because discomfort, embarrassment, past trauma and cultural factors were keeping people away. If any of those describe you, this removes the barrier — ask for self-collection when you book.
What a positive result means
An HPV-positive result is common and it is not a cancer diagnosis. HPV is a very common infection and most people clear it without ever knowing they had it.
What happens next depends on which type is found. Some results mean a repeat test in twelve months to see whether you have cleared it. Others mean referral for colposcopy — a closer look at the cervix. Your GP will explain which applies to you and why.
Booking it
Ask for a standard appointment and say it is for cervical screening. If you would prefer a female GP, say so when you book — seven of our doctors are female, and it is a completely ordinary request. See women's health and sexual health.
Common questions
Yes. The vaccine protects against the HPV types that cause most cervical cancer, but not all of them, so screening every five years is still recommended.
For detecting HPV, yes — it is as accurate as a clinician-collected sample, and it is available to everyone eligible for screening.
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