Cervical/Colposcopy

• The cervical screening test checks for types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause cervical cancer. It also checks for cell changes in the cervix caused by these types of HPV.
• The test does not check for types of HPV that do not cause cervical cancer.
• The cervical screening test feels like getting a Pap test. A doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife will use a small, soft brush to take cells from the cervix so the lab can test for cancer-causing types of HPV and cell changes.

People are eligible for cervical screening if they:

• Are a woman, Two-Spirit person, transmasculine person or nonbinary person with a cervix, and
• Are at least 25 years old, and
• Have ever had sexual contact with another person, and
• Do not have symptoms, like different bleeding or discharge (clear or yellow fluid) from the vagina (genital opening)

People should still get screened if they:

• Have had the HPV vaccine
• Feel healthy
• Have been through menopause
• Have not had any family members with cervical cancer
• Have had sexual contact with only one person
• Have had the same sexual partner for a long time
• Have not had sexual contact in a long time
• Are in a same-sex relationship

Most eligible people should get screened every 5 years. Some eligible people may need to get screened more often based on their medical or screening history.

Most people can stop cervical screening from ages 65 to 69. Some people may get cervical screening tests after age 69 based on their medical history or screening test result history.