Cervical
cancer
screening

The cervical screening program enables early detection of both cervical cancer and the early stages of this disease. The cervical screening program is for women aged between 30 and 60 years. This group of women is at the highest risk of cervical cancer. 750,000 women are invited every year. They can participate by having a smear test or by using a self-test kit. The smear test is used to test for the presence of the high-risk type of the human papillomavirus (hrHPV). If hrHPV is found, the same smear test will also immediately be analysed for cytological abnormalities. With the self-test kit, the woman collects her own sample from her vagina, which she sends to the screening laboratory. The self-test kit is only used to test for hrHPV.