Benefits of cervical screening

Thanks to Scotland’s successful cervical screening programme, cervical cancer is a lot less common than it used to be.

Cervical screening can help prevent cancer by detecting any changes to cells in the cervix – the entrance to the womb. These abnormal cells are usually caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and, if left untreated, can turn into cancer.

Find out more about how HPV causes cancer.

Cervical screening was first introduced in Scotland in the 1960s and a national programme has been running since 1988. Cervical cancer cases have dropped by 47% and deaths from cervical cancer have been reduced by more than 50%.

In the UK, cervical screening saves over 1,000 lives every year and has prevented eight out of 10 cervical cancers developing.

It’s vital all women aged between 20 and 60 have regular cervical screening to check for cell abnormalities. In Scotland, women are routinely invited to attend for screening every three years.

A small sample of cells taken from the surface of the cervix is sent to a lab where they are examined in detail under a microscope.

For most women the results of screening confirm that the cells that make up the cervix are normal.

Only around 3% of tests show pre-cancerous cell changes. This doesn’t mean you have cancer. It means that some cells are slightly abnormal and could possibly develop into cancer if left untreated.

The new vaccine protects against the two most common high risk types of HPV. This is a major advance in the prevention of cervical cancer. However, we know that some other high risk HPV types exist for which there isn't yet a vaccine. Therefore regularly taking part in the cervical screening programme from the age of 20, allows us to screen for abnormal cell changes which have occurred due to any type of high risk HPV. This offers women the greatest possible protection currently available against cervical cancer.

This is why it is still important to have regular cervical screening, even if you’ve had the HPV jab.

To find out more about what’s involved in cervical screening, download the NHS Health Scotland leaflet The cervical screening test explained (external link)

Find out more about Scotland’s cervical screening programme (external link)