Closed petition: Fund cervical screening every 3 yrs or more frequently, lower minimum age to 18

Closed on 17 January 2026

Reduce the age at which routine cervical screening is first offered, to 18. Require routine testing every 3 years, fully funded, rather than 5 years, for non HPV positive individuals and increase funding for more frequent testing.

There were 251,251 women referred for a colposcopy during 2023/24. Many of these women likely would not have been sent for a colposcopy had there not been changes detected in their smear testing. Its previously been estimated that cervical screening only prevents around 70% of cervical cancer deaths in England. Women deserve the right to have the confidence that cancer that can show no signs in initial stages be tested for on a regular basis.