Free Cervical Screening via Cervical Check national screening programme
Cervical smears help to prevent cervical cancer by detecting abnormal cells in the cervix before they become cancerous. Exposure to the human papilloma virus (HPV) is responsible for the development of almost all cervical cancers. Cervical cancer is treatable if detected early, hence the importance of routine, regular screening. Many women’s lives have been saved as a result of successful cervical screening programmes.
The advent of the HPV vaccine (gardasil and cervarix) are a very welcome addition in the fight against cervical cancer. It is very important to realize however, that women must still attend for routine cervical screening even if they have received this vaccine. This is because the vaccines protect against the HPV types that cause approximately 70% of cervical cancer but there are other strains of the virus that they do not protect against that can also cause cancer.
Cervicalcheck is available nationally to all women between the age of 25 and 60. If you wish to have a smear, please speak with our secretaries who will be able to check if you are due a smear and will register you with cervical check. You will then be able to make an appointment with the nurse for your smear without further delay.
Please have your PPS number available in order for them to be able to do this for you.
Alternatively, you can ring 1800 454555 or log onto www.cervicalcheck.ie and register with Cervical Check directly. A letter of invitation will then be sent out to you, which you will need to bring in with you to your appointment. The results are available approximately 4 weeks after the test is completed and will be posted out to you. If there is any abnormality on your result, you will receive a call from our nurse or your doctor to explain the nature of this and to discuss appropriate follow up.
We are happy to offer private cervical smears for women not entitled to a free smear but who wish to have a smear test outside the suggested screening programme intervals . The sample will be sent to a private laboratory in Dublin. This will incur an additional fee.