NHS screening for women: cervical, breast and bowel by age

SASian Anderson, Writer and editor, MyGLP. Sources checked 5 November 2026.

The three programmes at a glance

Screening is for people with no symptoms. Its job is to find changes early, often before they would ever cause a problem. If you have a symptom, such as bleeding between periods, a breast lump or blood in your poo, see a GP now and do not wait for your next invitation.

Cervical screening from 25 to 64

Your first invitation arrives a few months before your 25th birthday. The NHS cervical screening page says you are then invited every 5 years up to 64. At 65 or over you are only invited if a recent test was abnormal.

The sample is tested for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) first. Only samples with HPV are checked for abnormal cells. The NHS results page sets out what happens next:

• No HPV found: you are invited again in 5 years.
• HPV found, no cell changes: you are invited again in 1 year. If HPV is still there after 2 years, you are offered a colposcopy.
• HPV found with cell changes: you are referred for a colposcopy, a closer look at the cervix in hospital.
• Unclear result: you are asked back in 3 months. This does not mean something is wrong.

Why the gap moved from 3 years to 5

Until July 2025, women aged 25 to 49 were invited every 3 years. NHS England changed this for anyone screened from 1 July 2025 whose sample shows no HPV. A King's College London study published in the BMJ in 2022 found 5-yearly screening after a negative HPV test was as safe as 3-yearly and found the same number of cancers. If you test positive for HPV you are watched more closely, not less.

You do not need to wait for an invitation if you missed your last test. You can book with your GP surgery or a sexual health clinic. If you are 65 or over and have never had a test, or have not had one since 50, you can ask your GP for one.

Breast screening from 50 to 71

Your first breast screening invitation arrives some time between 50 and 53. The NHS breast screening page says you are then invited every 3 years until your 71st birthday. After 71 you are no longer invited automatically, but you can still ask for screening every 3 years by calling your local breast screening service.

The mammogram takes two X-rays of each breast. The machine presses the breast flat for a few seconds, which can be uncomfortable, and you can ask to stop. The appointment usually takes under 30 minutes. The NHS leaflet on helping you decide gives the numbers: about 4 in 100 people screened are called back for more tests, and about 1 in 100 is diagnosed with breast cancer.

The same leaflet is honest about the main downside. Screening finds some cancers that would never have caused harm, and some women have treatment they did not need. You have the right to weigh that up and choose. If you have not been invited by 53, contact your local breast screening service. You must be registered with a GP to be invited. Between screens, keep checking your own breasts. Our breast checks guide shows how.

Bowel screening from 50 to 74

Bowel screening uses a faecal immunochemical test (FIT). The kit comes by post and you collect a tiny poo sample at home. The NHS bowel screening page says the kit looks for blood, which can be a sign of bowel cancer, and is sent every 2 years from 50 to 74.

The starting age dropped to 50 in England after a phased rollout. NHS England says about 2 in 100 people who return a kit need further tests. If you are 75 or over, or you lost your kit, call the free helpline on 0800 707 6060, open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Trans and non-binary people

Invitations follow the sex recorded at your GP surgery, not your body. GOV.UK screening guidance for trans and non-binary people sets out what this means:

• If you have a cervix and are registered as male, you will not be invited for cervical screening. Ask your GP, practice nurse, sexual health clinic or gender clinic to add you to the list.
• If you have no cervix and are registered as female, you may still get cervical invitations. Ask your GP to remove you.
• Trans women registered as female are invited for breast screening. If you are registered as male, you can ask your GP to refer you. The NHS says breast screening is suitable if you have taken feminising hormones for more than 2 years.
• Everyone aged 50 to 74 is sent a bowel kit, whatever sex is on their record.

If you have put off a test

Many women delay cervical screening because of pain, past trauma, embarrassment or being too busy. You can ask for a female nurse, a smaller speculum, a longer appointment or a chaperone. You can stop the test at any point. The NHS cervical screening guide explains each step so you know what to expect. If a past experience left you dismissed or hurt, our guide to getting heard at the GP covers how to ask for what you need.

A checklist by age

• 25: first cervical screening invitation.
• 25 to 64: cervical screening every 5 years, sooner if HPV is found.
• 50: first bowel kit, then every 2 years to 74.
• 50 to 53: first breast screening invitation, then every 3 years to 71.
• 71 and over: ask for breast screening every 3 years.
• 75 and over: call 0800 707 6060 to ask for a bowel kit.

Sources

1. Cervical screening: when you'll be invited (NHS)
2. Cervical screening: your results (NHS)
3. NHS rolls out more personalised cervical screening for millions (NHS England, June 2025)
4. Your guide to NHS cervical screening (NHS England)
5. Breast screening: when you'll be invited and who should go (NHS)
6. NHS breast screening: helping you decide (GOV.UK)
7. Bowel cancer screening (NHS)
8. NHS rolls out lifesaving home testing for bowel cancer to over 50s (NHS England, January 2025)
9. NHS population screening: information for trans and non-binary people (GOV.UK)