HealthInfo Canterbury
Cervical screening & cervical smears
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Screening means testing people for early stages of a disease before they have any symptoms. Cervical screening (a cervical smear test) is one of the best ways of protecting yourself against cervical cancer, also called cancer of the cervix. Your cervix is the opening to your uterus (womb) at the top of your vagina.
A cervical smear is a test that takes a small sample of cells from the surface of your cervix. Laboratory staff then look at these cells under a microscope to look for any abnormal changes. Sometimes they test for human papillomavirus (HPV) as well.
Smear tests are part of a national screening programme in New Zealand. They're available for all women, transgender or non-binary people with a cervix or vagina who are aged between 25 and 69, and who've been sexually active. Screening might be started earlier if you're sexually active and have a depressed immune system. Read more about screening.
If you've had a hysterectomy, talk to your doctor about what screening is right for you. If you've had your cervix removed, you can have a test called a vault smear that's taken from the top of your vagina.
Having a smear test every three years can reduce your chance of getting cervical cancer by 90%.
To do the test, a doctor or nurse looks at your cervix using an instrument called a speculum, which they put into your vagina. 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. Laboratory staff then look at these cells under a microscope to find HPV. Watch the video Cervical Screening – What to expect to find out more.
After your test
Results usually take about two weeks. Your doctor or nurse will tell you how you'll get your results.
In 90% of cases, results come back normal with no abnormal cells found. This means your risk of getting cervical cancer is very low. You should have your regular cervical smear in three years' time.
Sometimes the result is inadequate, and you may be asked to have another test in three months. This doesn't mean anything is wrong, just that the results weren't clear.
If your results show abnormal cells, read about understanding your cervical smear results and what they mean for you.
HealthInfo recommends the following videos
- HealthTalk – Cervical screening videos
Videos of women talking about their experiences with cervical screening. You can browse the videos by subject or by age group of the patient.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Time to Screen:
- Cervical screening
Information about the National Cervical Screening Programme, which aims to prevent cervical cancer by providing regular smear tests for all eligible women in New Zealand.
Phone 0800-729-729 for more information or to register.
- Cervical screening resources
Brochures about cervical screening and the National Cervical Screening Programme. Download the PDFs or order hard copies.
The resources include the pamphlet Cervical smear tests – what women need to know, which is also available in Māori, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Japanese and New Zealand Sign Language (video).
- Why have regular smear tests
Lots of written information and resources about cervical screening including where to go for your screening and what your results mean, plus videos.
- Cervical screening
On the next page: Treatment after an abnormal smear result
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2021.
Sources
Review key: HICES-20461
