Women aged 20-70 are advised to have a cervical smear test every three years.
A cervical smear test is not a test to look for cancer. It is a screening test that looks for abnormal changes in cells on the surface of the cervix (the neck of the uterus or womb). Some cells with abnormal changes can develop into cancer if they are not treated. Treatment of abnormal cells is very effective at preventing cancer.
The cost for a cervical smear varies and some practices provide the service for free.
If you:
then you should have regular smear tests.
This includes if you:
It's completely up to you who takes your smear. You can choose to go to your regular doctor or choose to go to:
You can request a female smear taker from most services.
Whoever you choose, all smear takers are specially trained to make sure the test is comfortable, and meets your rights as a patient.