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Getting recommended screenings is one of the most important things you can do for your health. 

A smear or cervical screening is offered to women aged 25 to 64 to check the health of cells in the cervix. It is offered every 3 years for those aged 26 to 49, and every 5 years from the ages of 50 to 64.

You can have it done at your medical practice, Well Woman clinic or sexual health clinic.

You can take a family member or friend to support you.

Before having any screening test, it's worth finding out about the test itself and what would happen next if you found out you have a higher risk of a particular condition.

Deciding whether or not to have a screening test is a personal choice and one which only you can make. When you are invited for screening, you will receive an information leaflet about the screening test.

You can discuss any aspect of the screening test with your health professional and decide whether or not it's right for you.

• Screening can detect a problem early, before you have any symptoms
• Finding out about a problem early can mean that treatment is more effective
• Finding out you have a health problem or an increased risk of a health problem can help people make better informed decisions about their health
• Screening can reduce the risk of developing a condition or its complications
• Some deaths from cervical cancer can be prevented

If you get a normal result (a screen negative result) after a screening test, this means you are at low risk of having the condition you were screened for. This does not mean you will never develop the condition in the future, just that you are low risk at the moment.

If you have a higher-risk result (a screen positive result), it means you may have the condition that you've been tested for. At this point, you will be offered further tests (called diagnostic tests) to confirm if you have the condition. You can then be offered treatment, advice and support.

Finding out about a problem early can mean that treatment is more effective. However, screening tests are not perfect and they can lead to difficult decisions about having further tests or treatment.

Screening tests are not 100% accurate. You could be told you have a problem when you do not – this is called a "false positive" and may lead to some people having unnecessary further tests or treatment as a result of screening. A screening test could also miss a problem – this is called a "false negative" and could lead to people ignoring symptoms in the future.

Finding out you may have a health problem can cause considerable anxiety, but it can help you make better informed decisions about your healthcare.

Even if your screening test result is normal or negative (meaning you are not at high risk), you could still go on to develop the condition so please do not ignore new symptoms, such as bleeding after sex.

It is important that you attend your screening appointments.