Cervical Cancer Screening

The test is known as a pap smear, after the old style of screening. However, we now use a method known as water-based thing prep (which is much easier to perform and much more accurate) but we still call it a pap smear so that it is easily recognisable.

The new thin prep pap smear requires the use of a small brush, like that in the above picture, which is swirled at the cervix opening several times to pull off a few cervix cells. This is then deposited into the water collection medium and sent to the lab for testing.

Current recommendations are that women should have 3 yearly pap smear screens if they have always been normal. If an abnormality is found then screens will need to be more regular. However, we still recommend that women get yearly pap smear screens to be safe.