If you are between 30 and 60 years old, you will automatically receive an invitation for the free screening every 5 years; this is also known as a Pap smear. Have you received an invitation? Please schedule the appointment for the Pap smear yourself. Ensure that the Pap smear takes place on a day when you are not menstruating.
In the laboratory, the Pap smear is examined for HPV (Human papillomavirus). There are as many as 100 types of human papillomaviruses. Of those 100 types, approximately 12 can cause cervical cancer. Your Pap smear will be tested for these 12 types. Long-term infection with one of these 12 types of HPV carries a small risk of cervical cancer. If the virus is present, it is also checked whether there are abnormal cells in the Pap smear. If you do not have HPV, you have virtually no risk of cervical cancer. Your Pap smear will then not be examined for abnormal cells. This is not necessary.
Are you 40 or 50 years old and does the screening show that you do not have HPV? Then you will receive a new invitation 10 years later. If you do not have HPV, the chance of developing cervical cancer within 10 years is very small. So small that a Pap smear in 10 years provides sufficient protection.
You will see the practice assistant for the Pap smear. She will complete a questionnaire with you. The stickers from your invitation letter must be placed on this questionnaire. It is therefore important that you bring this letter with you.
For the Pap smear, you will undress from the waist down, after which you may take a seat on the examination table. The assistant performs the Pap smear using a special instrument called a speculum (also known as a duckbill). She inserts this carefully into the vagina, after which she uses a small brush to collect some cells from the cervix. These cells are sent to the laboratory in a vial and examined there. The results are available after 3-4 weeks; please call the medical assistant after this period to request the results.
Do you find it very difficult to have a Pap smear performed? For example, because you have had unpleasant sexual experiences, because you are still a virgin, or because a Pap smear is difficult for any other reason? Please inform the assistant before the Pap smear is performed, so that we can take this into account.
You can also request the self-sampling test. You perform this test yourself at home. In this way, you still participate in the screening program.
Women who do not respond to the first invitation will receive a reminder 4 months later. This states that you can request a self-sampling kit. With a self-sampling kit, you can collect some mucus from your vagina.
You send this to the laboratory. There, they test the mucus for HPV, the virus that can cause cervical cancer. Three weeks later, you will receive a letter with the results. With the self-sampling kit, you can therefore not test whether you also have abnormal cells in your cervix.
For more information, visit Thuisarts.nl
Or read the RIVM brochure.
