Private Smear Test & Cervical Screening Manchester

Do I need a smear test?

The NHS cervical screening programme is for women aged 25-64 years. They offer tests every 3 years for women aged 25-49, and every 5 years if aged 50-64.

However, at Summerhill Health, you are eligible to have a smear test at any age and as often as you wish, provided it is more than 12 months since your last test.

Before your test

Once a test is arranged, it can happen at any time between periods, if you have them. Try to avoid vaginal intercourse, using tampons, lubricants or vaginal preparations (including vaginal oestrogen) for two days before the smear test, so there is no risk of results being affected by these products.

All clinicians carrying out smear tests at Summerhill Health are female.

It is best not to have a smear test if you are pregnant.

What happens during the smear test?

Before commencing the test, tell the doctor or nurse with you if you have any particular worries or needs in order to make you feel as comfortable as possible. You can ask for pain relief and/or a smaller size speculum if you wish.

When you’re ready, you will need to remove your clothes from the waist down behind a screen/curtain and lie on a couch on your back with your legs bent and feet together. You will be covered by a sheet and the doctor or nurse will let you know what they are about to do and check you are ready for them to continue.

The doctor or nurse will use lubricant and gently insert a speculum to hold open your vagina, so they can then insert a small instrument with a brush on the end that will take a sample of cells from your cervix.

The whole procedure often only takes 3-5 minutes but time will be given to you, so you do not feel rushed in any way.

The cells from your cervix are then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

After the test

You may have some light bleeding, spotting or cramping for a day or two after the test which is normal and usually stops within a few days.

Results from a smear test

Your cells will be checked for the presence of HPV (human papillomavirus) and only if this is present will the cells be assessed further.

If you do not have HPV, your risk of getting cervical cancer is very low and you do not require any further action.

If HPV is found in your sample, your results letter will explain what is recommended next. This might be another smear test in 12 months if there are no abnormal cell changes, or a further test procedure (called a colposcopy) to look at your cervix in more detail if abnormal cell changes have been found from your smear test.