Smear tests in your 50s

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women in the UK after breast and ovarian cancer. If unchecked it can go undetected for months, sometimes years. Of the 3,500 women who get cervical cancer in the UK each year, many have not had regular smear tests. That's why screening the cervix, which is the narrow neck of the uterus that opens into the vagina, is so important.

Like most cancers the earlier cervical cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance for a cure. All women in the UK, from the ages of about 18 - or two years after first sexual intercourse - to 65, are entitled to a cervical smear every three to five years.
You should be notified by your local health authority or doctor to arrange a test.

How it's done

The smear test is quite simple. A speculum (a device that dilates the vagina so that it can be inspected) is placed in your vagina and cells are skimmed from the surface of the cervix - or, if you've had a total hysterectomy, from the wall of the vagina - then smeared onto a glass slide. It may be uncomfortable but shouldn't be painful, and you can have it done by a female nurse if you wish.

Getting the results

The slide is sent to the hospital laboratory where it is examined for any abnormal cells. Each smear contains roughly 50,000-300,000 cells. Within a month you should get your results back: a normal result means you don't have to do anything else, but in some cases your doctor may want to call you in. This may be because:
You need a repeat smear test. The original test had an inadequate number of cells on it, or there was an infection in the cervix.
You get a 'borderline' result. The laboratory has found a few abnormal cells but not enough to cause concern. In this case you may need a repeat test in six months just to be sure.