Make time for your smear test

• Abnormal cells ('cervical dysplasia') have been found. Cervical dysplasia means changes in a cell or cells in the epithelium - the tissue covering the cervix - have happened. If it only affected a few cells your doctor may decide to 'watch and wait' and then retest you in several months. If more show up you may have to have a colposcopy examination, which uses a microscope to view the cervix under magnification. You might also have a biopsy, which will remove a small sample of tissue from one or more areas of the cervix.

An abnormal smear test result doesn't mean you have cervical cancer: over 22,000 tests come back with abnormal results in the UK yet only 3,500 develop cervical cancer.