All women and people with a cervix every five years now smear test

[justasking111]

Five years in Wales is this the norm in England, Scotland, Ireland?

Our surgery put it up on their FB page this week.

It was three years here last time I checked.

Yabu it's fine no reason to be concerned

Yanbu it's too big a gap.

I was told it’s every five years last time I went for my smear. I’m in Scotland. I was told that the testing for early pre-cancerous cells was so good now it only needed to be every 5 years. It doesn't really sit right with me but maybe someone who know more can reassure us.

YABU for saying women and people with a cervix.
You mean women.

Argh I voted before noticing that both options are YANBU. But I think it is too big a gap. My sister has been diagnosed as having advanced Cervical cancer within 5 years (just) of her last smear test

I will fix that comment for the welsh government/health authority.

All women will now have a smear test every five years.

You could have just put a full stop after the word ‘women’.

That’s if you’re not HPV+ on your most recent smear. If you are, it’s more frequent. I think it’s a change in how they measure the risk, given the role HPV plays in cervical cancer.

People with a cervix? So.... Women

Normal in Scotland unless your smear test is positive for HPV, at which point you are moved to yearly.

Yes this is what I was told it is because testing is .better. it used to be 3.

There’s no point to having the test if you know you don’t have HPV. That’s all they check for. So there’s no reason to bother.

At my last smear the nurse told me they don't routinely check for pre cancerous cells anymore. Just the presence of HPV (and I assume then the sample would go on for further testing). Unless anything changes in my sex life I'm not sure there's much point in me going again

Sorry, cross posted! I completely agree!

In Ireland they 1st test for hpv and if not positive, you are given the all clear and told next test will be 5 years. If positive they check for cell changes. I think there's another test for hpv/cell changes 12 months later or something if you were positive. I can't fully remember as I was negative for hpv last time and put on the 5 year list.

I assume OP was saying exactly what was on her GP surgery's FB. It's important to do this then everyone can see how captured the wretched NHS is.

It's not all women though, is it? They stop at 60 something.

*Women over 25, and under 64.

I wasn't aware the frequency had changed either

Oh and it was 3 years. It only had changed to 5 years at my latest test.

They will do one sooner if there is a reason for concern

Only women can have a cervix. Hope this helps.

Yes 64 provided your last HPV test was negative.

I'm quoting my surgery verbatim

@ the above replies, transgender men have cervixes too and therefore need to have a smear done. Inclusive language harms no one, and it’s important for everyone to get checked regardless of gender identity and if adding that bit extra on encourages someone to get tested when they mightn’t have otherwise I can’t see it as anything but a good thing.

I was under the impression that if you test positive for HPV, you get more frequent tests which I think is good, I didn’t know the it had changed from 3 to 5 though as standard.

This

Yup

Didn't it used to be yearly..?