More Accurate
Cervical Screening Test Now Available in Ontario

• Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) has introduced a new cervical screening test that relies on primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing followed by cytology assessment (if HPV positive) to improve detection of cervical cancer risk.
• The new cervical screening test is more accurate than the Pap test. This means most people can go longer between screenings while improving the ability to detect possible cervical cancers.

• The cervical screening test checks for types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause cervical cancer. It also checks for cell changes in the cervix caused by these types of HPV when detected.
• The test does not check for types of HPV that are not known to cause cervical cancer.
• The cervical screening test feels like getting a Pap test. A doctor, nurse practitioner, or midwife will use a small, soft brush to take cells from the cervix so the lab can test for cancer-causing types of HPV and assess for cell changes.

• People are eligible for cervical screening if they:
  - Are a woman, Two-Spirit person, transmasculine person or nonbinary person with a cervix, and
  - Are at least 25 years old, and
  - Have ever had sexual contact with another person, and
  - Do not have symptoms, like different bleeding or discharge (clear or yellow fluid) from the vagina (genital opening)
• People should still get screened if they:
  - have had the HPV vaccine,
  - feel healthy,
  - have been through menopause,
  - have not had any family members with cervical cancer,
  - have had sexual contact with only one person,
  - have had the same sexual partner for a long time,
  - have not had sexual contact in a long time,
  - are in a same-sex relationship,
  - have only had protected sexual contact,
  - are pregnant,
  - have had a subtotal hysterectomy and kept their cervix
• Most eligible people should get screened every 5 years. Some eligible people may need to get screened more often based on their medical or screening history.
  Please consult your healthcare provider for your screening interval based on your individual risk factors.
• Most people can stop cervical screening from ages 65 to 69. Some people may get cervical screening tests after age 69 based on their medical history or screening test result history.

• You can get a cervical screening test by making an appointment with your doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife. If you do not have a doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife, you can use Health811 to find a clinic that does cervical screening tests:
  - Search for “cervical screening test” at ontario.ca/healthservices
  - Call 811 (TTY: 1.866.797.0007)
  - Use the live chat at ontario.ca/health811
• Some public health units and community health centres also provide cervical screening tests. If you are in the Northwest and Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant regions, you may be eligible for cervical screening in one of the province’s mobile screening coaches.

The person who collected your sample for the cervical screening test will get a copy of the test results from Dynacare.
Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) will also mail you a letter with your test results.

For more information about cervical screening and the cervical screening test, visit: ontariohealth.ca/cervical-test