Cervical screening may be done using either liquid-based cytology or a smear test. Liquid-based cytology has been introduced through out the UK and is now widely used. The smear test will be phased out by the end of 2008. Both tests are described below.

These tests are not for diagnosing cancer. They are to check the health of the cervix and to detect early changes in the cells of the cervix, which may develop into cancer in the future.

The best time to have the test is in the middle of your menstrual cycle, when you are midway between periods.

The screening test is a very simple procedure and takes less than five minutes. It can be uncomfortable but should not be painful. The person carrying out the test should explain the procedure and you should feel able to ask questions at any time.

Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is now the most commonly used method of collecting cells from the cervix in the UK. Once you are lying comfortably on the couch, the doctor or nurse will gently put an instrument called a speculum into your vagina to keep it open. A special brush will be used to gently take cells from the cervix. The head of the brush is then rinsed into a small container of preservative or snapped off and put into the container. The container will be sent to the laboratory for examination.

In the laboratory, the cells are put onto a glass slide. Liquid-based cytology preserves more cells, and makes the need for a repeat test less likely than with a smear test.

The sample is taken in a similar way to liquid-based cytology, but the nurse or doctor will use a small disposable spatula to take the sample. Sometimes a small brush is used to collect the cells. The cells are spread onto a glass slide and sent to a laboratory to be examined under a microscope.

You will be sent the results of the cervical screening test by letter within about six weeks of having the test. A copy of the report is also sent to the GP practice where the test was done. If you do not hear anything within six weeks, you can phone the surgery or clinic and ask them to check up on your results.

If the results show that there may be abnormal cells in the cervix, you will be contacted and another test will be arranged. Alternatively, an appointment may be arranged with a gynaecologist (a doctor who specialises in women's health) or a nurse colposcopist.