Keep cervical screening every 3 years – don’t extend it to 5 years

Background

Maintain 3-yearly cervical screening for women aged 25–49, even if they test HPV-negative. Do not extend the interval to 5 years. Retain both HPV and cytology tests, improve public education, and ensure informed consent before any screening changes.

Additional details

Extending screening to 5 years risks delayed detection of cervical cancer. While HPV testing is more sensitive, false negatives can occur, and some cancers progress rapidly, especially in younger women. A UK study found nearly half of women oppose longer intervals (Marlow et al., 2019). Three-yearly screening has significantly reduced cervical cancer rates—extending the interval could reverse decades of progress in early detection and survival.