{"id":838,"date":"2025-11-28T14:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T14:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/?p=838"},"modified":"2026-01-15T12:36:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T12:36:38","slug":"what-is-cervical-cancer-screening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/","title":{"rendered":"What is cervical cancer screening?"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8-1024x682.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-839\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8-1024x682.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-font-msi-sp-font-family has-large-font-size\"><strong>Cervical cancer screening is a way to check up on the health of your cervix \u2013 the entrance to your womb &#8211; and help you spot the early signs of cervical cancer.<\/strong> <strong>Read on to learn everything you need to know about the procedure.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is cervical cancer screening important?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/services\/womens-health\/cervical-cancer-screening\/\">Upimaji wa saratani ya mlango wa kizazi<\/a> looks for changes in the cells of your cervix. It isn\u2019t a test for cancer but it can detect abnormal cells that could lead to serious problems like cervical cancer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abnormal cells are not usually cancerous, especially if you have regular screenings. However, spotting abnormal cells during screening means they can be closely observed and\/or treated early to prevent cancer from developing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, regular screening has been proven to reduce the risk of advanced cancer by 90% on average for women aged 35-64.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can book a cervical cancer screening with MSI Tanzania &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/find-us\/\">visit your nearest clinic<\/a> au <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/contact-us\/\">contact us<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions about the procedure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How often should I be screened?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We recommend that women over the age of 25 get screened&nbsp;every 3 years until the age of 49, and then every 5 years until the age of 64.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Will I have to undress for the screening?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, during your screening we will ask you to undress from the waist down. If you are wearing a full skirt or a dress with a full skirt you can lift the skirt up rather than take it off. Don&#8217;t worry, we&#8217;ll give you something to cover yourself with while we perform the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does it hurt to have a cervical screening test?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some women find cervical cancer screening momentarily uncomfortable, but it is a very quick procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The apprehension, along with embarrassment, puts some women off having a cervical cancer screening. However, many will say that they found it fine and that it\u2019s worth a little discomfort for peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The key is to relax and take deep and slow breaths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re worried, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/contact-us\/\">contact us<\/a> and we can discuss how to make you as comfortable as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I have sex before the screening?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some chemicals found in spermicide, lubricant, or barrier methods of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/services\/contraception-and-family-planning\/\">uzazi wa mpango<\/a> such as condoms, cervical caps and diaphragms could affect the screening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s best not to have sex using these contraceptive methods for 24-hours before the test. However, sex with any other contraceptive method before the test will be fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens after a cervical cancer screening?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>After your screening (usually within 2 weeks) you will get a full explanation of your results and advice on what to do next. If necessary, you may be referred for further tests, such as a colposcopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a colposcopy?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A colposcopy is an examination which looks closely at the cervix to identify where the abnormal cells are so they can be treated if necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A specialist will carry out this screening process using a colposcope, which is a bit like a microscope to give a magnified view. If necessary, a tiny sample of tissue will be taken and tested in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don&#8217;t delay in booking your screening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting regular cervical cancer screenings is one of the most important things a women can do to maintain her health and well-being. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/find-us\/\">Visit your nearest MSI Tanzania clinic<\/a> au <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/contact-us\/\">contact us<\/a> to book your screening.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cervical cancer screening is one of the most important things a women can do to maintain her health. Learn everything you need to know about the procedure.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"post_tag":[45,44],"class_list":["post-838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-help-and-advice","tag-sexual-health","tag-womens-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is cervical cancer screening? - Marie Stopes Tanzania<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cervical cancer screening can help you spot the early signs of cancer, and protect your reproductive health. Learn what you need to know about the procedure.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is cervical cancer screening? - Marie Stopes Tanzania\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cervical cancer screening can help you spot the early signs of cancer, and protect your reproductive health. Learn what you need to know about the procedure.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marie Stopes Tanzania\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-28T14:56:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-15T12:36:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"799\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"dakika 3\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"What is cervical cancer screening?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-28T14:56:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-15T12:36:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/\"},\"wordCount\":561,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Sexual health\",\"Women's health\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Help &amp; Advice\"],\"inLanguage\":\"sw\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/\",\"name\":\"What is cervical cancer screening? - Marie Stopes Tanzania\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-28T14:56:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-15T12:36:38+00:00\",\"description\":\"Cervical cancer screening can help you spot the early signs of cancer, and protect your reproductive health. Learn what you need to know about the procedure.\",\"inLanguage\":\"sw\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"sw\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":799},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/\",\"name\":\"Marie Stopes Tanzania\",\"description\":\"Marie Stopes Tanzania\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"sw\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Marie Stopes Tanzania\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"sw\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/MSI_TANZANIA_mobile_png.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/MSI_TANZANIA_mobile_png.png\",\"width\":180,\"height\":113,\"caption\":\"Marie Stopes Tanzania\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is cervical cancer screening? - Marie Stopes Tanzania","description":"Cervical cancer screening can help you spot the early signs of cancer, and protect your reproductive health. Learn what you need to know about the procedure.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is cervical cancer screening? - Marie Stopes Tanzania","og_description":"Cervical cancer screening can help you spot the early signs of cancer, and protect your reproductive health. Learn what you need to know about the procedure.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/","og_site_name":"Marie Stopes Tanzania","article_published_time":"2025-11-28T14:56:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-15T12:36:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":799,"url":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"","Est. reading time":"dakika 3"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"What is cervical cancer screening?","datePublished":"2025-11-28T14:56:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-15T12:36:38+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/"},"wordCount":561,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png","keywords":["Sexual health","Women's health"],"articleSection":["Help &amp; Advice"],"inLanguage":"sw","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/","name":"What is cervical cancer screening? - Marie Stopes Tanzania","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png","datePublished":"2025-11-28T14:56:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-15T12:36:38+00:00","description":"Cervical cancer screening can help you spot the early signs of cancer, and protect your reproductive health. Learn what you need to know about the procedure.","inLanguage":"sw","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"sw","@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/help-advice\/what-is-cervical-cancer-screening\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/image-8.png","width":1200,"height":799},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/","name":"Marie Stopes Tanzania","description":"Marie Stopes Tanzania","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"sw"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#organization","name":"Marie Stopes Tanzania","url":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"sw","@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/MSI_TANZANIA_mobile_png.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2023\/08\/MSI_TANZANIA_mobile_png.png","width":180,"height":113,"caption":"Marie Stopes Tanzania"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":""}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariestopes.or.tz\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_tag?post=838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}