The NHS cervical screening programme invites women aged between 25 and 64 for cervical screening. Screening also applies to other people within this age range who have a cervix, such as trans men.
The screening test aims to pick up changes early that could develop into cervical cancer if left untreated.
It is slightly different from the other screening programmes for breast and bowel cancer in this respect. These aim to detect early cancer with a view to treating at an early stage and improving outcomes. Cervical screening detects precancerous cell changes and the virus, HPV, which increases the risk of cells developing cancer.
Please see the below video for more information regarding the cervical screening programme:
