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Who can use it? of Cervical screening test

All women between the ages of 25 and 64 have access to free cervical screening tests through the NHS. Women aged 25-49 are invited every 3 years, and women aged 50-64 are invited every 5 years.

Cervical cancer is rare in women under 25. Young women’s bodies are still developing and changing, and they may have an abnormal test result when there is nothing wrong. This could lead to unnecessary worry, so screening women younger than 25 may do more harm than good. If you are under 25 years old and worried about the risks of developing cervical cancer, or about sexual health generally, you can contact your GP or local GUM (genito-urinary medicine) clinic.

Cervical cancer is also very rare in the following cases:

Women who are not sexually active:

  • The risk of cervical cancer is very low in women who have never been sexually active. As the risk is so low, women in this category might choose not to have a cervical screening test.  However, if a woman is not currently in a sexual relationship, but has been in the past, it’s a good idea to continue with regular cervical screening.

Women over 65:

  • Women aged 65 and over who have had three normal test results in a row are not called back for further cervical screening tests. The way that cervical cancer develops means it’s very unlikely that women in this category will go on to develop the disease. Women aged 65 and over who have never had screening are entitled to a test.

Women who have had a hysterectomy:

  • Women who have had a total hysterectomy (i.e. they no longer have a cervix) will no longer be invited to attend cervical screening. Women who have had a hysterectomy which has left all or part of the cervix in place will be invited to screening once their post-operative care has finished.

    Women who have had a total hysterectomy for the treatment of cancer, or who had CIN (a type of cervical cell change that can lead to cancer) at the time of total hysterectomy, will have vault sampling. This is when a sample of cells is taken from the vagina near where the cervix used to be. Vault sampling isn’t part of the cervical screening programme - it is part of the follow-up treatment for hysterectomy.