WOMEN should be allowed to take smear tests every five years instead of every three if they meet one condition, experts say.
All women aged 24 to 49 currently get free NHS checks for signs of cervical cancer three years apart.
But a study by King’s College London found the screening would work just as well if the checks were five years apart instead.
Five-year checks, however, should only be offered to women who test negative for HPV.
The virus – a group of bugs called human papillomaviruses – is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer and women who don’t have it are at much lower risk.
The King’s College researchers said HPV-negative women do not need to be screened as often, which might improve their attendance.
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Dr Matejka Rebolj said: “These results are very reassuring.
“Changing to five-yearly screening will mean we can prevent just as many cancers as before, while allowing for fewer screens.”
The screening tests look for changes in cells in the cervix that could lead to cancer.
Around 3,000 women per year develop cervical cancer, which killed Jade Goody aged just 27, but it is more common in younger women.
The HPV vaccine is now wiping out the virus which causes most cases of the disease so rates are falling.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, Dr Rebolj said HPV positive women should still be checked regularly but negative women can have appointments spaced out.
The UK National Screening Committee has advised the NHS to use five-year intervals for HPV-negative patients.
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Medics hope more women will attend screening appointments if they don’t have to go as often.
Michelle Mitchell, CEO at Cancer Research UK, said: “This study shows that offering cervical screening using HPV testing effectively prevents cervical cancer without having to be screened as often.”
