Cervical smears
Cervical smears
Free cervical cancer screening is available to all our enrolled patients.
The smear test looks for abnormal changes to the cells of the neck of your uterus (cervix). It’s important to find abnormal cells early so you can be given treatment before the cells develop into cancer.
We encourage all women aged 25–69 years to have a cervical screening test every three years if the initial smear results are normal.
If you are aged 25 or over and you are or have been sexually active and haven’t had a cervical smear in the last three years, talk to your nurse or GP at any of our clinics.
What is a cervical smear?
Having a smear test only takes a few minutes and you can ask that it be done by a female nurse or doctor. Some women find it uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt.
A few cells are collected from your cervix using a spatula (a thin, flat wooden instrument) and put into a solution for testing in the laboratory. The cells are put under a microscope to see if there is anything abnormal. If there is, your clinic will let you know the next steps.
When phoning for an appointment, let our receptionists know that this is what you require, and they will make an appointment with someone that suits you.