Cervical screening is recommended if you:
- are a woman or trans or non-binary person with a cervix
- are aged between 25 and 69
- have ever been sexually active.
If you have had a hysterectomy (removal of your uterus/womb), check with your health provider whether you still need to be screened.
If you are aged 70 years or older and were not regularly screened before the age of 70, you may be at risk of having undetected cervical abnormalities. In this case, two samples should be taken after the age of 70, and screening can stop if both results are normal.
Before 1 November 2019, people aged 20–24 years of age were also screened, but the evidence shows that screening provides little benefit in this age group. People under 25 who have started screening should continue to be screened.