Rush Hill & Weston Surgery
Cervical Screening Awareness Week
20-26 JUNE
WHAT IS CERVICAL SCREENING?
Cervical screening is a free health test available on the NHS as part of the national cervical screening programme. It helps prevent cervical cancer by checking for a virus called high-risk HPV and cervical cell changes. It is not a test for cancer.
It is your choice whether to go for cervical screening. We hope this information helps you make the best decision for you and your health.
If you have symptoms, contact your GP surgery about having an examination. Cervical screening is not for people who have symptoms.
You are invited for cervical screening because evidence shows that the benefits of the test outweigh any risks. Along with the HPV vaccine, cervical screening is the best way to protect against cervical cancer and prevents over 7 in 10 diagnoses. However, like any screening test, cervical screening is not perfect and there are some risks.
BENEFITS OF CERVICAL SCREENING
- Cervical screening aims to identify whether you are at higher risk of developing cervical cell changes or cervical cancer. This means you can get any care or treatment you need early.
- England, Scotland and Wales now use HPV primary screening, which is even better as it is based on your individual risk. This means how frequently you are invited for cervical screening is based on your last result and within a timeframe that is safe for you.
Across the NHS, local systems and partnerships are working together to find ways that cancer screening can be made more accessible for people with a learning disability. In this short film, Jodie (aged 42), explains how she attended her first cervical screening appointment after her GP practice and learning disability nurse made the right reasonable adjustments to make her feel more comfortable and confident
