Guidance

British Sign Language (BSL) signed content: Taking part in NHS cervical screening

Updated 17 October 2025

Applies to England

Introduction

You can watch a British Sign Language version of our cervical screening information below.

BSL signed content: Taking part in NHS cervical screening

Transcript

Taking part in NHS cervical screening

Cervical screening checks the health of your cervix and helps prevent cervical cancer.

We look for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). This can cause abnormal changes that may lead to cervical cancer if left untreated.

Catching any changes early can prevent most cases of cervical cancer. Cervical screening saves thousands of lives each year in the UK. 

We invite women aged 25 to 64 every 5 years. Cervical cancer mostly affects women and people who have a cervix under the age of 45, but abnormal changes can happen at any age.

Trans men and non-binary people with a cervix are also eligible for cervical screening. If you are registered with your GP as female, you will be invited automatically. If not, you can ‘opt in’ to receive routine invitations. You can do this by contacting a cervical screening provider, such as your GP, a sexual health clinic or a transgender health clinic.

You can read our information for transgender and non-binary people on the GOV.UK website.

To read our information for transgender and non-binary people, visit www.gov.uk/trans-non-binary-screening.

Cervical cancer is a cancer found anywhere in the cervix. This is the opening to your womb from your vagina.

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by high-risk types of HPV.

HPV is very common and spreads easily. You can get it from any kind of sexual contact. Most people get HPV at some time in their lives.

Usually, your immune system gets rid of HPV, but sometimes it can stay in the body for many years without causing symptoms.

If high-risk HPV stays in your body, it can cause abnormal changes to the cells in your cervix. These changes may become cervical cancer if left untreated.

Cervical screening is usually done by a female nurse or doctor. You can ask for this when you make your appointment.

At your appointment, the nurse or doctor will give you privacy to get undressed from the waist down.

You’ll usually lie back with your legs bent, feet together and knees apart. The nurse or doctor will gently put a smooth, tube-shaped tool called a speculum into your vagina.

They’ll open the speculum to see your cervix. Using a soft brush, they’ll take a small sample of cells from your cervix for testing at a lab.

The actual test should take less than 5 minutes. The whole appointment usually takes about 10 minutes.

Visit the NHS website for a video animation showing what happens during cervical screening.

For a video showing what happens during cervical screening, visit www.nhs.uk/cervical-screening-appointment.

It’s important to attend cervical screening, even if you’ve had the HPV vaccine. The vaccination does not protect you from all types of HPV, so there’s still a small chance you could get cervical cancer.

Book your screening for when you’re not having a period, including the 2 days before and after you bleed. Avoid vaginal medicines, lubricants and creams for 2 days before your appointment.

Let your GP surgery or sexual health clinic know if you are or could be pregnant, as you may need to delay your screening.

Some people feel understandably anxious about cervical screening. You are in control at your appointment and can ask to stop at any time. You can read our guidance for people who find it difficult to attend on the GOV.UK website.

To find out about support for people who find it difficult to attend, visit www.gov.uk/cervical-screening-support.

If the results show no sign of high-risk HPV infection, your risk of cervical cancer is very low. Most people (around 87 in 100) have this result. We will usually call you back for screening again in 5 years’ time.

If the results show that you have a high-risk HPV infection, we will check your sample for abnormal cells.

If we do not find any, we will invite you for screening again in 12 months’ time. This is to check that your body has got rid of the HPV. Around 9 in 100 people screened have an HPV infection but no abnormal cells.

If we do find abnormal cells, we will invite you for another examination, called a colposcopy. Around 4 in 100 people have this result.

Most people who have a colposcopy do not have cervical cancer.

You can read more about having a colposcopy on NHS.UK.

To find out more about having a colposcopy, visit www.nhs.uk/colposcopy.

No screening test is 100% reliable. An HPV infection or abnormal cells can sometimes be missed. There is a small chance that a result says abnormal cells have been found, but a colposcopy then finds that cells and the cervix are normal. There is also a small risk of abnormal cells developing and turning into cancer between screening tests.

Symptoms of cervical cancer may include:

• vaginal bleeding that’s unusual for you

• bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause

• heavier periods than usual

• changes to your vaginal discharge

• pain during sex

• pain in your lower back, between your hip bones, or in your lower tummy.

If you notice any of these changes, see your GP as soon as possible. These symptoms do not mean you have cervical cancer, but it’s best to get checked.

You can find out more about cervical screening using the following details.

To find out more about NHS cervical screening, visit:

• www.nhs.uk/cervical

• www.gov.uk/cervical-screening-guide

• www.eveappeal.org.uk.