The National Cervical Screening Programme recommends that all women who have ever been sexually active have regular cervical smear tests from the time they turn 20 until they turn 70. 

Women who have ever had sex are advised to start having cervical smear tests at the age of 20. This is because cervical cancer can take up to ten or more years to develop, so it is very rare for women under the age of 25 to develop cervical cancer.

Women who are pregnant or have a new baby do not need to have a cervical smear test unless they are due for one.

The recommended age for women to stop having smears is 70. It is very unlikely that women over 70 will develop cervical cancer if their previous smears have been normal.

Women aged 70 and over who have never had a cervical smear test are advised to have a smear test followed by another a year later. If both tests are normal, no further tests are needed.

If a woman has had abnormal smears in the past, her smear taker or doctor will advise her when it is best to stop having cervical smear tests.

Women who have never been sexually active do not need to have cervical smear tests.

Women who have had a hysterectomy

Women who have had a hysterectomy with both the uterus and cervix removed do not usually need to have smear tests unless:

• they have previously had one or more abnormal cervical smear results confirmed by a biopsy
• cervical abnormalities were found at the time of surgery
• they had a hysterectomy because of abnormal cells or cervical cancer
• they are advised by their specialist to do so.

In these cases, they will be advised to keep on having cervical smear tests. The smear is taken from the top of the vagina. It is called a vaginal vault smear.

Women who have had a hysterectomy in which the cervix was not removed (subtotal hysterectomy) need to continue to have cervical smear tests.

If you do not know whether you need to continue to have cervical smear tests, ask your doctor.