Cervical screening is designed to pick up mild pre-cancerous changes before they turn into anything more serious. There are several grades of abnormal smear before cancer develops, each of which can be treated successfully by a gynaecologist. It's worth remembering that less than 10% of cervical smear tests show any abnormality at all.
 
The practice nurse or doctor will take a sample from the cervix (the neck of the womb) by gently rotating a brush over it. This sample is mixed into a preservative fluid and sent to Good Hope Hospital Cytology Lab for analysis.
 
You will be invited for a smear test according to national guidelines i.e. every 3 years from age 25.
You may be recalled sooner than these routine times if you have had an abnormal smear in the past.

Your doctor will usually take a cervical smear if you experience bleeding after intercourse or between periods. These symptoms are important and you should seek advice as soon as possible.
 
We routinely write to all women when we receive their smear result from the hospital.

Very few cervical smears pick up actual cancer. If you have an abnormality you will be advised by your doctor what treatment (if any) is needed and he or she will arrange it for you. Below is a basic guide to smear results:

What is colposcopy?
Colposcopy is a technique used by the gynaecologist to look closely at the cervix, take tiny biopsy samples and, if necessary, treat abnormalities. It is done in an outpatient clinic and you do not need an anaesthetic.

Click here to see the NHS cervical cancer screening website for more details.