Metro Auckland Cervical Screening Coordination Service | Auckland | Te Toka Tumai | Te Whatu Ora

Cervical Screening is a test to check for changes to the cells of the cervix (entrance to the uterus). A nurse or doctor will put an instrument called a speculum into the vagina to open it, and then gently wipe or brush a few cells from the cervix to send to the laboratory for testing. A cervical screening test can show if cervical cells are going through any changes that happen before cancer grows. If a smear test shows changes to cells of the cervix a referral is made to a specialist service called Colposcopy.

 

Regular smears make it possible to prevent cancer before it grows, or to pick up the cancer early so that it is more easily cured. The National Cervical Screening Programme aims to provide all New Zealand women with regular smears and recommends that a smear be done every three years between the ages of 25 and 69 years.

(Source NCSP)