Cervical cancer screening

-Automatic translation

All women aged 23-64 are invited to cervical cancer screening

Screening aims to detect abnormal cells at an early stage and treat them if necessary, thereby reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. Regular cervical cancer screening is recommended for asymptomatic women from the age of 23.

Invitation to screening

An invitation to a screening comes from the Cancer Screening Coordination Center (Samhæfingarstöð krabbameinsskimana). Women can come for screening at primary health care or make appointments with their gynaecologist.

Appointments are available at all primary healthcare centres in the country. You can send an e-mail to krabbameinsskimun@heilsugaeslan.is.

Further information on how to book an appointment - Polish version

• The 23-29-year-old age group is invited to screening every three years (HPV primary).

• The 30-59-year-old age group is invited to screening every five years (HPV primary).

• The 60-64-year-old age group is invited to HPV primary screening. If the sample is HPV negative in this age range, women are discharged from screening. If women don‘t respond to the screening invitation after the age of 60, they will receive an invitation every five years until the age of 70.

The total number of cervical cancer screenings is 10-11 per woman's lifetime. You can decline an invitation to the screening.

If you are in doubt about when you last had a cervical cancer screening, you can find information on Heilsuvera.is (my pages) or get information from your primary health care.

All results from the screenings are sent electronically through Island.is - My pages

General cervical cancer screening

The Cancer Screening Coordination Center (Samhæfingarstöð krabbameinsskimana) is responsible for the screening, and samples are taken by midwives/nurses who have received special training. A cell sample is extracted from the mucous membrane. Such sampling is pain-free, although some women find it uncomfortable.

Women can also have their cervical screening done by a gynaecologist.

Symptoms that require examination

• Always see a doctor if you have symptoms from your female organs, such as irregular periods, pain, or a change in discharge, regardless of when you last had a screening.

• A colposcopy must be performed if abnormal cells are detected in the cervical cancer screening.

• Abnormal cells are most commonly caused by HPV infection (human papillomavirus).

• Mild pre-stage abnormalities often disappear spontaneously without treatment; therefore, monitoring after 6-12 months is sufficient. However, if this does not happen, or if there are high-grade abnormal cervical cells in the smear, a colposcopy is required for further diagnosis.

• A colposcopy is a procedure to find out whether there are abnormal cells in a woman's cervix. Biopsies are also taken for tissue analysis. Biopsies are taken from areas where abnormal cells are suspected.