AN IMPROVEMENT to the current cervical screening test will mean that women who now present with borderline or low grade cervical abnormalities will be tested for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) as part of their routine cervical screening sample (previously known as a smear test).

HPV testing will be part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme and means that resources can be more effectively targeted, reducing unnecessary procedures and the anxiety that these may cause women.

Certain types of the HPV strain are known to cause cervical cancer and can put women at greater risk of developing the disease.

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme routinely invites women aged 25 to 49 for a cervical screening test every three years, and those aged 50 to 64 every five years.

“By incorporating HPV testing into our current screening programme in this way we will be able to significantly reduce the number of repeat cytology tests required and target our colposcopy services more effectively,”

said Gary Player, NHS North of Tyne and County Durham and Darlington Pathway Manager. “This is an important development in our programme, enabling us to screen women more effectively, reducing unnecessary procedures and minimising any associated anxiety.

“The NHS Cervical Screening Programme has already been a huge success and HPV testing will only enhance the screening process.

“I would urge women to take up their invitation for screening as early detection and treatment can prevent most cancers developing. HPV testing will lead to a more patient-centred and efficient service.”

Cervical screening is not a test for cancer. It is a method of preventing cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities which, if left untreated, could in a few cases lead to cancer in a woman’s cervix (the neck of the womb).

It is estimated that 4,500 lives are saved every year in England through cervical screening.

HPV testing is good news for women because it speeds up referral to colposcopy, avoids referral/treatment for those who don’t need it, reduces the number of repeat tests and returns women to normal recall earlier.

The impact nationally will mean that there will be a £15m saving to the NHS per annum as there will be nearly 640,000 fewer samples analysed.

The HPV test is performed on the same sample of cells taken for your cervical screening test. Women will be sent an invitation through the post as usual. If a HPV test is needed, the result of that test will be included within the same result letter.

It is important to remember that 95 per cent of screened women will not require an HPV test.

If your HPV test shows no evidence of HPV infection, your risk of developing any cervical abnormality over the next ten years is less than one per cent.

The link between HPV and cervical cancer has long been established, with this virus being the primary cause of nearly 100 per cent of cervical cancer cases.

There are more than 130 strains of HPV, most of which do not cause significant disease.

HPV infection is very common. The majority of sexually-active women will come into contact with HPV at some time in their lives. In most women, their body’s own immune system will get rid of the infection without them ever knowing it was there.

Unfortunately, for some women (and men) the virus can remain in their bodies for many years. Only a minority of women who show evidence of HPV infection will develop cervical abnormalities, of which only a few might develop cervical cancer if these are left untreated.

For further information about the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, please log on to cancerscreening.nhs.uk/cervical

If you are worried about a specific problem or the risks of cancer, you should talk to your GP.