Cervical screening is a simple procedure where a trained healthcare professional uses a soft brush to gently sweep a sample of cells from the neck of the womb (cervix). It can be life-saving as it can detect early warning signs that can be monitored carefully or treated before the cells change to become cancerous.
It is screening test for people without any concerning symptoms or signs of cervical cancer….
If you do have concerning symptoms (e.g. bleeding after sex, bloody vaginal discharge or bleeding in between periods), you should contact your doctor as soon as possible for an examination and if the cervix has any concerning features and needs further investigation, you will be referred directly for colposcopy which is a tiny camera that looks at the cervix in greater detail.
What Does Cervical Screening Actually Test For?
The sample that is collected is first tested for “high risk HPV” which is a type of virus that is very common in people who are sexually active and often resolves by itself.
Greater than 99% of cervical cancers are caused by “high risk HPV” therefore, if the sample is negative, there is no need to further investigate the sample.
However, if the sample is positive for “high risk HPV,” it will be further investigated to establish whether the “high risk HPV” has caused any changes to the cervical cells and if so, to what degree.
If there are no changes; you will go back to routine cervical screening as normal.
If there are borderline changes; you may need more frequent cervical screening to keep an eye on it.
If the changes are considerable, you may need treatment and close monitoring with more regular cervical screening until your result becomes negative. After a negative result, you then you go back to having routine cervical screening (every 3 – 5 years).
Are There Different Types of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)?
Yes, there are many different types that can cause other conditions such as hand warts, genital warts, verrucas…etc however, the high-risk types of HPV have the ability to transform cells at the neck of the womb over several years to develop into cervical cancer. This is the aim of cervical screening – to detect early warning signs to prevent the cervical cells from transforming into cancerous cells. High-risk HPV can also cause penile cancer.
Who Needs To Have Cervical Screening?
Every person with a cervix needs to have cervical screening. This includes people who have had a hysterectomy but have retained their cervix as well as any person assigned female anatomy at birth and have not had their cervix removed.
How Often Do I Need To Have Cervical Screening?
- Ages 25 to 49: Every 3 years
- Ages of 50 to 64: Every 5 years
- Age 65 and Above: only if 1 of your last 3 tests was abnormal or if it is your preference to have one for reassurance.
What If I Am Positive For “High Risk HPV”?
If your cervical sample is positive for “high risk HPV,” it will be further investigated to check whether the HPV has changed the cells (as mentioned above).
Many people are positive for “high risk HPV” so you are not alone and it does not mean that you have cancer or will later develop cancer.
HPV can resolve by itself without causing any abnormal changes to the cervix but needs to be monitored accordingly once it has been detected.
How Can I Protect Myself From HPV?
HPV is very common in the population of sexually active individuals and can resolve by itself without any treatment.
In England, the HPV vaccination is available for girls aged 12-13 years and this has caused a significant reduction in the number of cervical cancer cases so it greatly encouraged.
Using a condom to protect yourself against HPV (and other infections) is also advisable if you are not in a long-term, monomagous relationship.
Cervical Screening Is Uncomfortable For Me – What Can I Do?
Cervical screening should not be a painful experience at all and if it is, the underlying cause of pain needs to addressed first because it can become a vicious cycle.
Remembering a previous painful experience can lead to fear of anticipated pain which can lead to vaginismus (vaginal spasms and tightening) which can further exacerbate the pain.
Things you can do to have a more comfortable experience:
- Vulval care is very important to avoid infection, dryness and discomfort and if symptomatic, to treat the cause of discomfort BEFORE having the cervical screening. It is worthwhile in the long run to postpone your cervical screening test for a short while to treat a thrush infection or vaginal dryness for example, if it means that you will have a more comfortable experience and will be more likely to return for future screening tests. Please see our post entitled “How Can I Take Good Care Of My Vulva?” for more information.
- If you are able to choose a nurse or doctor that you feel most comfortable with, try to book an appointment with them.
- You can ask for a small speculum to be used as this can be more comfortable.
- You can ask to place the speculum in your vagina yourself so that you feel more in control.
- You can bring a friend/relative/partner to your appointment for moral support if this will help you to relax.
- Try to relax as much as possible through whatever means keeps you calm e.g. talking, listening to music, reading, breathing exercises…etc
Where Can I Find Out More About Cervical Cancer?
** Please kindly refrain from requesting personal medical advice in the comments section as we are not indemnified to provide advice to people who are not formally under our care and will not be able to respond to these comments. If you are in need of specialist advice, please book an appointment with our Menopause Specialist here. **