Cervical cancer screening
Detected early, treated more easily.
For whom?
All women of 30-65 years old are invited to take part in cervical cancer screening every five years according to the screening regulation. Some wellbeing services counties also invite women aged 25 for screening. In addition, screening is arranged for individuals who are in the target group based on their birth gender, and whose gender has been confirmed as male.
Screening is an easy way to detect cell changes before they develop into cancer. Screening has reduced the occurrence of cervical cancer by 80 percent in Finland. The screening examination is free of charge.
Fimlab receives information of those invited to the screening from Finnish Cancer Registry’s Mass Screening Registry and invites them to the examination with a personal invitation letter. Individuals whose gender has been confirmed as male do not receive separate invitations to screening, as the invitations are based on the gender marker in the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. These individuals can contact Fimlab’s customer service to participate in the screening.
In addition, the invitation letter cannot be sent to people who have a non-disclosure for safety reasons. Instead, these people need to contact Fimlab’s customer service.
If you qualify for screening and have not received a screening invitation by the end of September during the screening year, contact Fimlab’s customer service to receive an invitation. If you move to Fimlab’s screening area in the middle of the year, and you receive an invitation from your previous home municipality, but you would like the screening to be performed at Fimlab, contact Fimlab’s customer service to receive the screening invitation from Fimlab. An appointment for the screening should not be booked before you have received an invitation for the screening.
How is cervical cancer examined?
70–80 % of Finnish women get a papillomavirus infection (HPV) at some point in their lives. The so-called high-risk HPV test indicates prolonged high-risk HPV infection even before the development of microscopic precursor changes. Cell changes indicating cancer precursors can be detected in the gynaecological pap smear test, and the development of actual cervical cancer can therefore be prevented with treatment.
Do this, when you receive an invitation:
- Book an appointment: fimlab.fi/en/appointment-booking (24h) or call 010 808 515 on weekdays between 7 and 16.
- Fill out the preliminary information form at the back of the invitation before coming in for the examination.
Please note:
- Pap smear tests cannot be performed while you are on your period.
- You can continue to take any other treatments for this area (e.g. a vaginal suppository) normally but you should not take them the day before the sample is collected or on the day of sample collection.
- Normal pregnancy up to week 35 does not prevent sampling. If you are aware of a risk of premature labour, consult your child health clinic beforehand. The sample can be taken approximately 1-2 months after giving birth.
- If you have received a mass screening invitation to your home address, please book an appointment within one month of receiving the invitation, but no later than during the year of the invitation. Note! It is impossible to postpone your screening test until next year.
- The examination results will be sent to you by mail within two months after the screening is done.
Examination results
Fimlab will send written examination results to all who have been examined within two months after the screening test. Whether the findings require further investigation, Fimlab will automatically refer you to further examinations in specialised healthcare and inform you of this by letter.
The municipalities’ contact information for screening customers
If you want more information regarding your examination results or other matters related to the
screening examination in your home municipality, you can contact your healthcare centre or
the contact person in your home municipality.
- Kanta-Häme
- Central Ostrobothnia
- Central Finland
- Lapland
- Pirkanmaa
- Ostrobothnia
- Northern Ostrobothnia
- Päijät-Häme
- Satakunta
Collecting data to the Finnish Cancer Registry’s Mass Screening Registry
Fimlab forwards a summary of all cervical cancer screenings to the Finnish Cancer Registry’s Mass Screening Registry, which compiles data of all screening activities in Finland. The collection of data is based on the law. In addition, the summary will be sent to the municipality that ordered the service. Personal examination results will not be disclosed in the summary that is sent to the municipalities.
More information about screenings
More information about the adult population screening program:
HPV self-sampling
In 2025, the Wellbeing Services Counties of Pirkanmaa, Kanta-Häme, Central Finland, Ostrobothnia and Päijät-Häme will conduct a study on HPV self-sampling with voluntary participants. In this study, the participants will collect a sample by themselves at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Participation in screenings is not compulsory, but we encourage you to attend. Screenings, or mass screenings, aim to find cancer as early as possible, making it much easier to treat. Found early, treated more easily.
Read more:
If you want more information about your results or other matters related to screening in the municipality of your residence, you can contact your health centre or the contact person in the municipality of your residence.
Cervical cancer screening
Read more:
Colorectal cancer screening:
Read more:
Do not worry; you will receive a new invitation in the mail.
