It is your choice whether to have a cervical screening test or not. This guidance aims to help you decide. Cervical screening used to be called a ‘smear test’.
Why we offer cervical screening
NHS cervical screening helps prevent cervical cancer. It saves thousands of lives from cervical cancer each year in the UK. In England cervical screening currently prevents 70% of cervical cancer deaths. If everyone attended screening regularly, 83% could be prevented
Who we invite
Cervical screening is for women and people with a cervix. We offer screening every 3 years from age 25 to 49 and every 5 years from age 50 to 64. This is because most cervical cancers develop between these ages. First invitations arrive a few months before people turn 25. You can book your appointment as soon as you get your invitation. We invite some people more often due to a previous screening result (see below).
You should consider having screening regardless of your sexual orientation, sexual history, or whether you have had the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.
If you are a transgender (trans) man registered with your GP as female, we will send you invitations for cervical screening. If you are registered as male you won’t receive invitations, but your GP or practice nurse can arrange an appointment for you if you have a cervix. If you are a trans woman you don’t need cervical screening.
NHS England – Helping You Decide
Further information can be found on the NHS England website: “Helping you decide”: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-description-in-brief/cervical-screening-helping-you-decide–2
