Cervical screening intervals to be increased on the Island

The HPV virus, which causes 99.7 percent of cervical cancers, is now detected on the Isle of Man well before it gets a chance to develop.That's from Public Health, which has announced the interval between cervical screenings here is to change from three to five years for those aged between 24 and 49.It means that from 1 July, people who test negative at their next screening will not be invited for another routine test for five years.The change comes as a result of the successful implementation of primary HPV testing over the past seven years, since its introduction in 2018.Siobhán Fletcher sat down with Health Protection Nurse, Theresa Thornton, and Isle of Man Anti-Cancer Association Executive Officer, Sandy Denning, to find out more.