It is a routine medical procedure that most women hate having - a smear test to check for cervical cancer.

With Big Brother celebrity Jade Goody the most high-profile case of a young woman suffering from the disease, it is clear that ignoring either the warning signs or test results can have dramatic consequences for women aged 25 to 75.

Q: Will my daughter need smear tests if she's had the new HPV vaccine?

A: Absolutely. One of the worries for doctors regarding the new vaccine is that women will be less vigilant about cervical screening. Not all cases of cervical cancer are from HPV (Human papilloma virus) which is spread via sexual contact, so she will still need a smear every three years once she's 25.

Q: My smear test came back as abnormal. Do I have cancer?

A: Not necessarily. An abnormal result suggests there were some changes in the cells that may be an indication of a pre-cancer stage - known as CIN. It does not mean you definitely have the pre-cancer stage; it means a closer look is needed. Some women have these changes from infections or from medication they are taking.

Q: Should I be worried about my test result?

A: You should not panic but you must not ignore it. Go back to your doctor and discuss the results and the next step. There are different degrees of abnormal results. For most you will need to repeat the smear within a year or six months. For other, more serious changes you will be referred to the hospital straight away.

Q: My GP says I need a colposcopy. What is that?

A: It is an examination of the cervix and is usually performed by a gynaecologist in hospital. You will be in a similar position to having a smear but it takes much longer and is done using a special microscope that allows the specialist to take a more detailed look at the cervix.

Q: Why should I bother getting the repeat? Can't I just go straight to the hospital?

A: In many cases, the changes on the original abnormal smear become normal when the smear is repeated so it wouldn't be needed and you would have endured an uncomfortable procedure unnecessarily.

Q: My smear test was normal. When should I come back?

A: After three years if you are under 50 years of age, after five years if you are over 50. Scientific evidence has shown that if women are screened every three years, more than 90 per cent of pre-cancer cases are picked up. It used to be every five years for everyone, but the pick-up rate was not as good.

Q: I hate having smears; is there an alternative?

A: Nobody feels happy having a smear test as it is embarrassing and uncomfortable. But it is also a quick and reliable way of preventing a cancer that still kills women. There are no other dependable ways of screening.

Q: What are the symptoms of cervical cancer?

A: Any unexpected bleeding - for example, after the menopause or after sex. Pelvic pain can also be a sign.

Q: Where can I get a test?

A: Most women go to their local GP. The smear will be done by your doctor or the practice nurse. The results take between six and eight weeks. Routine smears are not normally done by gynaecologists on the NHS, but you can see a gynaecologist privately as part of a well-woman check.

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DYING Big Brother star Jade Goody says husband Jack Tweed is keeping up her spirits by playing songs to her.

Jade, 27, who has terminal cancer, told New! magazine that the agony of her final days is being eased by Jack playing songs to her and her sons Bobby Jack, five, and Freddy, four.

She said: "On Thursday, Jack brought his guitar round and played a few tunes for me and the boys.

"We all love it when he plays. I bet you didn't know I married a rock star!

"He's still being really sweet. The other day we just cuddled up and watched TV together. Jack fed me chocolate and we lay there rubbing noses like a couple of loved-up Eskimos!"


Jade said she's been overwhelmed with messages of goodwill from fellow celebrities - including gifts of flowers from Robbie Williams and Amy Winehouse.

Leave your messages of support for brave Jade here

She said: "I've had a gorgeous bunch of flowers from Amy Winehouse and another from Robbie Williams."

And the newly-wed star said she was flabbergasted when Michael Jackson called her to offer his support.

Jade said: "Michael Jackson got his people to call the hospital as he wanted to speak to me and wish me well, but I was asleep! What am I like?

"So he recorded a little answer phone message and Jack played it to me. It's sop sweet of all these people to take the time to show they're thinking of me."

In an emotional meeting, her sons Bobby, five, and Freddie, four, brought flowers to her bedside for what was supposed to be an early Mother's Day party.

But the 27-year-old, who was heavily sedated and exhausted as she nears the end of her battle with terminal cancer, could only muster a few words before falling asleep.

The Big Brother star's mother, Jackiey, yesterday said Goody was clinging on to life "hour by hour" after her condition deteriorated over the weekend.

Goody, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer last summer, discharged herself from hospital last week so she could die at home.

She told her sons then: "Mummy's going to heaven soon. I'm going to be a star up in the sky, so when you are looking up you will be able to see me and know I'm there, always looking over you."

When Freddie asked why his mother was so sleepy, Goody replied: "Because the angels are calling Mummy."

Her publicist Max Clifford said that Goody had hoped to spend time with loved ones at her home in Upshire, Essex, over the weekend, but it had to be cancelled because of her rapidly ailing health.

Instead, the boys spent most of yesterday afternoon playing in the garden with Goody's new husband, Jack Tweed, 21, who had joined other family members at her bedside.

Mr Clifford said: "The boys went to see her and she was aware of them for a brief moment or two. She saw them and she smiled.

"She has put her house in order and faced up to everything in an incredibly brave way. Now we're waiting for the inevitable. It could be at any time, we just don't know."

A priest also visited Jade yesterday to say prayers and blessings. Father Francis, of West London's Ealing Abbey, was chosen by the star because he has beaten cancer.