Cervical screening is not a test for diagnosing cervical cancer. It is a test to check the health of the cervix
Cervical screening also tests for the human papillomavirus (HPV). Certain types of HPV can cause abnormal changes in the cervix leading to cancer, just two HPV types, 16 and 18, are responsible for about 70 percent of all cases.
Around 750 women die of cervical cancer in England each year. However many of those who develop it have not been screened regularly. Not going for cervical screening is one of the biggest risk factors for developing cervical cancer
AGE 25 - 49 :: Every 3 years
AGE 50 - 64 :: Every 5 years
Patient Information Leaflet