{"id":2475,"date":"2022-12-05T13:12:27","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T13:12:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/5c94728ac9.nxcli.io\/en\/?p=2475"},"modified":"2022-12-05T15:49:24","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T15:49:24","slug":"smear-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.femfresh.eu\/en\/expert-advice\/smear-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"Smear Tests"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Smear Tests<\/h1>
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Cervical cancer is a devastating cause of cancer in younger women because over 99% of cases can be prevented<\/strong> by cervical cancer screening (smear tests) and NHS vaccination programme. All females (or people with a cervix) age 25-64 will be invited via letter in the post to attend their appointment, every 3 years* if between the ages 25-49 and every 5 years for over 50s.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>
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*if you live in Scotland or Wales your screening will be every 5 years.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div>

What does the smear test look for?<\/em><\/strong>
\nAs most cases of cervical cancer are caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), the cervical screening programme tests for presence of the HPV virus in the first instance. It\u2019s a common misconception that the smear test is a test for cancer, it\u2019s not. <\/strong>They are designed to pick-up high-risk strains of HPV and abnormal cells that have the potential <\/em>to develop into cancer over time<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>

What do the results mean?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

You will receive your results via letter in the post within 4 weeks of having your test.<\/p>\n

If HPV is not found,<\/strong> then you will receive a letter telling you so and invited back to your next smear in 3 years.<\/p>\n

If HPV is found<\/strong> on your cervical screening test, things can get a little confusing and can be a big anxiety for women\u2013 so let\u2019s clear it up!<\/p>\n

If HPV is found \u2013 they will then test for the presence of any abnormal cells that have the potential to turn into cancer.<\/p>\n