What happens at your cervical screening appointment

You usually have cervical screening at a GP surgery or at a clinic. The whole appointment should take about 15 minutes.

Booking your appointment

Preparing for your appointment

What to expect

The GP or nurse will explain cervical screening and answer any questions you have before they start.

Giving your consent

Each time you have a cervical screening appointment your GP or nurse gives you information and a consent form to sign. Take the time before your signing it to read it. Ask your GP or nurse any questions you have.

Ways to make cervical screening more comfortable

The GP or nurse are there to help you and may be able to make the test more comfortable.

They can use a smaller speculum, change your position, or give extra time for your appointment.

Tell them if you find cervical screening tests painful or if you are worried about discomfort. Tell them what is helpful for you.

Before they take your cervical screening sample you could ask:

• them to use a lot of lubricant if you have vaginal dryness
• about lying in a different position - such as on your side with your knees pulled up to your chest
• if you can put the speculum in yourself if you would prefer to

During cervical screening:

• take slow, deep breaths to help you relax
• tell the GP or nurse if it is painful
• ask the GP or nurse to use a smaller speculum if you feel any discomfort

Talk to your GP before booking your next cervical screening appointment. They may be able to prescribe medicine a few weeks before to help.

Getting ready

The GP or nurse will ask you to undress from the waist down and lie down on a bed.

If you're wearing a loose skirt you may not have to remove it. But you will still have to remove your underwear.

You usually undress behind a screen and they will give you a towel to cover yourself when you lie on the bed.

They will ask you to lie on your back with your legs bent, feet together, knees apart.

But you can lie on your side if it’s more comfortable for you.

How cervical screening is done

The GP or nurse will use a smooth, tube-shaped tool called a speculum to gently hold the walls of your vagina open. The speculum can be made of plastic or metal.

When you are ready:

1. The GP or nurse gently puts the speculum into your vagina, they may use a small amount of lubricant.
2. They open the speculum so they can see your cervix.
3. Using a soft brush, they'll take a small sample of cells from your cervix.
4. They will close the speculum and remove it.
5. They leave you to get dressed.
6. The GP or nurse will put the sample in a pot to send to a lab.

Bleeding after cervical screening

You may have some spotting or light bleeding after your cervical screening. This is very common and should go away in a few hours.