Public Health is pushing the message that women should attend cervical cancer screenings regularly, to catch any problems in the early stages.

Free cervical screening is offered every three years to 25-49 year olds, and then every five years to those aged 50-64.

The test involves taking a sample of cells from the surface of the neck of the womb.

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Fiona Nelson says it is best to pick up a problem before it turns into anything nasty.

"If we can detect things at an early stage, quite often we can do treatment in the clinic setting which will prevent cancer from developing in the future.

"Women won't often have any symptoms in the early stages, so we want to be one step ahead."

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, which also encourages all teenagers to get vaccinated against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus.

The HPV vaccines are offered to secondary school children in Year 8.

The virus can cause cervical cancer and is often transmitted through sexual intercourse, other skin to skin contact between partners and intimate toys.

Dr Nelson says they tend to screen for the HPV virus now, to catch cancer early.

"There are more than 150 types of HPV and high-risk types can be associated with the development of cervical cancer.

"If HPV is present and there are no abnormalities then we get women to return a year later, although if there are abnormalities, women are invited to a colposcopy (an examine that looks more closely at the cervix)."

"Even if you're not having penetrative sex, it's really important, if there's any genital contact at all, any kissing, touching, sharing sex toys, any skin-to-skin contact, it's really important you attend screening samples because HPV is passed on through skin-to-skin contact."

"A lot of women get embarrassed by screening samples but again, we're all women, we're all trained in doing them, so please don't feel embarrassed by doing them."

Appointments can be booked with your GP surgery, or the Sexual Health clinics at the General Hospital or Le Bas Centre.