Cervical screening

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. It is almost always linked to human papillomavirus (HPV), a very common virus passed on through skin contact during sex. Most of the time the body clears it without any help. Sometimes it stays, and over years it can change the cells of the cervix. Screening is there to find those changes before they turn into cancer.

A doctor or nurse uses an instrument to see the cervix and takes a small sample with a soft brush. It takes a few minutes. It can feel a little uncomfortable but is not usually very painful. The sample is checked for HPV, for cell changes (a Pap test), or for both.

Guidance varies by country and by type of test. In international recommendations, the starting age usually falls between 21 and 30, and the test is then repeated every few years. Ask your gynecologist which schedule suits you.

This does not mean you have cancer. Often all you need is monitoring, a repeat test or a closer look at the cervix with a magnifying instrument (colposcopy). Changes found early can be treated with simple procedures.

The HPV vaccine protects against the main virus types that cause cancer. Keep going for screening even if you have been vaccinated, because the vaccine does not cover every type.