HealthInfo Canterbury

Cervical screening

Whakamātautau waha kōpū

 

Cervical Screening is part of the national screening programme in New Zealand.

Your cervix is the opening to your uterus (womb) at the top of your vagina. Cervical screening can find early changes in your cervix that can be treated before they progress to cervical cancer.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection is the main cause of cervical cancer.

From September 2023, cervical screening is changing to become a test for HPV. There are three ways of doing the test. You can take a swab from your vagina yourself, a healthcare provider can take the swab or a healthcare provider can take a cervical sample (previously called a smear).

If the test shows you have HPV, you'll need to have follow-up testing.

Most people will need screening every five years.

People who should have screening tests

Cervical screening is recommended if you:

• are a woman, transgender or non-binary person (of any sexual orientation) with a cervix
• are aged between 25 and 69 and have ever had any sexual contact (including oral sex).

You should have cervical screening even if you:

• are immunised against HPV
• are single
• only have sex with women
• have a disability
• have been through menopause
• are no longer having sex.

If you're aged between 70 and 74 and have not had a normal cervical screen since the age of 65, you'll be offered screening.

If you've had a hysterectomy (your womb has been removed), talk to your healthcare provider about what screening is right for you.

Screening frequency

Cervical screening used to be done every three years, but the new HPV test is a better screening test so it's safe to have a longer gap between tests.

Most people will need cervical screening every five years. If you have a weak immune system (immunocompromised), you'll need screening every three years.

If you have an abnormal test, you may need screening more often.

How the test is done

The test can now be done one of three ways.

• You may be able to do your own vaginal swab at your healthcare provider’s clinic or surgery or in an approved community setting. They will send the swab off to be tested for HPV.
• Your healthcare provider can do the vaginal swab for you during an appointment.
• You can have a healthcare provider take a sample of cells from your cervix (cervical sample test). If the sample tests positive for HPV, a cytology (cell) test can then be done without you needing to go in for a follow-up test.

Vaginal swab

A vaginal swab is taken in a similar way to swabs taken for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The vaginal swab is similar to a cotton bud, which needs to be inserted into your vagina and rotated a few times before going into a tube and being sent to the lab. Many women find the swab test much easier than a cervical sample test.

See How to do the HPV self-test or Te mahi i te whakamātau-whaiaro for details of how to do the self-test.

Cervical sample

A cervical sample only takes a few minutes. Some people find it a bit uncomfortable, but it shouldn't hurt. During the test, a doctor or nurse puts an instrument called a speculum into your vagina so they can see your cervix. They use a small soft brush to pick up a few cells from the surface of your cervix, which they then send to the laboratory to be tested.

Costs

From 12 September 2023, free screening is available for:

• women and people with a cervix who are 30 or older and have never had a screening test or have not had a test in the last five years
• anyone needing a follow-up test
• Māori and Pasifika
• Community Services Card holders.

Where to get screened

You can get screened wherever is most convenient and comfortable for you. Your choices are:

• your usual doctor or nurse at your general practice
• Māori, Pasifika, women's or community health centres
• outreach services, like marae or mobile health units
• Family Planning Clinics.

Wherever you choose, all screen-takers are specially trained to make sure the test is comfortable and meets your rights as a patient.

The National Screening Unit can help you find someone to do your test. Call the unit on freephone 0800-729-729.

Results

Results usually take about one to two weeks. Your healthcare provider will tell you how you'll get your results and if any follow-up is needed.

See Understanding your cervical screening results for more information about screening results.

Even if you have a normal screening test, see your healthcare provider if you have bleeding after sex, bleeding between your periods or a vaginal discharge.

  HealthInfo recommends the following pages

• Time to Screen:
  • Cervical screening

    Information about the cervical screening including where to go for your screening and what your results mean. Includes videos.

    Phone 0800-729-729 for more information.

  • Cervical screening resources

    Brochures about cervical screening and the National Cervical Screening Programme. Download the PDFs or order hard copies.

    The resources are also available in te reo Māori and versions written for Pasifika.

On the next page: Follow up after an abnormal cervical screening result

Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2021. Last updated September 2023.

Sources

Page reference: 41513

Review key: HICES-20461