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Cervical screening

What is cervical screening?

Cervical screening is a test that can help prevent cervical cancer.4

Anyone with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 65 is advised to go for regular screening.5 The cervix is the opening to your womb from your vagina.4

CervicalCheck is the national cervical screening programme.6

You should automatically be on the CervicalCheck register if you:

  • Are age 25 to 65 and have a PPS number
  • Have previously had a cervical screening test through CervicalCheck7

If you are on the CervicalCheck register you will be sent a letter in the post inviting you to make an appointment.5

Cervical screening checks for certain types of HPV called “high-risk” HPV from a sample of cells from your cervix.4 High-risk HPV can cause abnormal cell changes in the cervix, which if left untreated could progress into cancer.8 Whilst most people who have high-risk HPV do not develop cervical cancer, two high-risk types, HPV 16 and HPV 18, are responsible globally for 71% of cervical cancers worldwide.9 Cervical screening aims to find and treat changes to cells before they turn into cancer.4

You can reduce your risk of getting cervical cancer by attending all your cervical screening appointments when they are due.4

What happens during a cervical screening appointment?

Most cervical screening appointments will take place in a GP surgery or a clinic.10

  • The cervical screening test itself should take less than 5 minutes and you don’t need to be worried about it.10 You’ll be in control of the test, if you need to stop or change your posture if you feel uncomfortable. You can ask the nurse to stop at any time.10 You’ll need to undress from the waist down, so it is handy to wear a dress or a long jumper.10
  • The screening involves obtaining a small sample of cells from your cervix for testing.10 The sample is then sent to a lab where it will be examined for the presence of HPV.10
A female doctor wearing blue scrubs smiling warmly at a female patient seated next to them

If HPV is detected, your sample will be checked to see if you have any abnormal cells in your cervix.10 You might need a colposcopy if your cervical screening results show abnormal changes to the cells of your cervix.11 A colposcopy is an examination to take a closer look at your cervix.11

If HPV is not found, there is no need to check for abnormal cells.4 This is because your risk of developing cervical cancer is very low if you do not have HPV.4 Your cervical screening results letter will explain what was tested for and what the results mean.12

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/about-hpv.html (Accessed November 2023)
  2. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-cancer/causes/ (Accessed November 2023)
  3. https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm (Accessed November 2023)
  4. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-screening/why-go/what-cervical-screening-is/ (Accessed November 2023)
  5. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-screening/who-should-have-cervical-screening/who-should-have-screening/ (Accessed November 2023)
  6. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-screening/contact/about-cervicalcheck/ (Accessed November 2023)
  7. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-screening/why-go/register/ (Accessed November 2023)
  8. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-papilloma-virus-and-cancer (Accessed November 2023)
  9. de Martel C, Plummer M, Vignat J, Franceschi S. Worldwide burden of cancer attributable to HPV by site, country and HPV type. Int J Cancer. 2017;141(4):664-670. doi:10. 1002/ijc.30716. (Accessed November 2023)
  10. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-screening/getting-a-test/what-happens/ (Accessed November 2023)
  11. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/colposcopy/ (Accessed November 2023)
  12. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-screening/results/your-results/ (Accessed November 2023)
  13. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-cancer/overview/ (Accessed November 2023)
  14. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/basic_info/index.htm (Accessed November 2023)
  15. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/human-papilloma-virus-and-cancer (Accessed November 2023)
  16. https://hpvcentre.net/statistics/reports/IRL_FS.pdf (Accessed November 2023)
  17. Cohen, P.A., Jhingran, A., Oaknin, A. and Denny, L. (2019) Cervical cancer. Lancet 393(10167), 169-182 (Accessed November 2023)
  18. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-cancer/symptoms/ (Accessed November 2023)
  19. https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/cervical-cancer/treatment/ (Accessed November 2023)
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IE-NON-00477 | Date of Preparation: January 2025

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