Cervical cancer prevention

The key to preventing invasive cervical cancer is to detect any cell changes early, before they become cancerous. Having regular cervical smear tests is the best way to do this. How often you should have a smear test depends mostly on your age and also on your individual circumstances.

The age that cervical screening starts and finishes varies in the different countries in the UK.

In England, all women between the ages of 25 and 64 are invited for cervical screening. The time intervals for the cervical smear tests are:

• Aged 25-49. Every three years.
• Aged 50-64. Every five years.

For women aged 65 and over, only those who have not been screened since the age of 50, or have had recent abnormal tests, are screened.

In Northern Ireland women between 20 and 64 are screened every five years.

In Wales women between 20-64 are screened every three years

In Scotland, women between 20 and 60 are invited for screening every three years; women over 60 are not invited as part of the national screening programme but can request a cervical smear test.

Normally a smear test is not necessary if a woman has had a hysterectomy. The doctor will advise whether a woman who has had a hysterectomy needs a different type of test called a vault smear.

If you have had precancerous changes or cancer of the cervix, your doctor will recommend a schedule of follow-up examinations and tests.

Avoidance of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is important in the prevention of precancerous and cancerous changes of the cervix since certain high-risk strains of HPV cause most cases of cervical cancer

First sexual intercourse at an early age is associated with increased risk of contracting HPV. Abstinence is one way to prevent the transmission of HPV. Likewise, barrier protection, such as using condoms, may prevent HPV infection, although this has not yet been fully studied.

In the UK, girls aged 12 to 13 are offered the HPV vaccine, which is given by a nurse at school (after parental consent). Girls have three injections over 6 months. Vaccination is not compulsory. It is up to the girl and her parents whether she has the vaccine.

It is estimated that, if girls take up the vaccination, the programme will prevent at least seven out of 10 cancers of the cervix. However, as it can take between 10 and 20 years for cancer to develop after HPV infection, any benefits from the programme will not be seen for some time. But the number of cases of precancerous changes in the cervix is likley to fall quite quickly. The vaccines are expected to give protection for life but more research is needed on this and it is possible that women may need a booster later on.

Cigarette smoking is another risk factor for cervical cancer that can be prevented, so stopping smoking may reduce your chances of developing the disease.