About the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP)
HPV Primary Screening is used alongside HPV vaccination in an effort to eliminate cervical cancer throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Pātiki and Waharua Kōpito patterns
HPV Primary Screening is recommended for those in Aotearoa New Zealand who have a cervix and are aged between the ages of 25 - 69.
People should be encouraged to participate in the NCSP if they are a wāhine/woman or person with a cervix, aged 25 to 69, who:
- has ever had intimate skin-to-skin or any sexual activity (even if they haven’t been sexually active for decades)
- has only had non-penetrative sex (i.e., oral sex)
- is straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or queer
- is transgender, gender diverse, or non-binary and has a cervix
- has only been with one sexual partner
- has had the HPV vaccination or not
- is pregnant or has had a baby
- has been through menopause.
For consumer information
Visit Time to Screen or phone 0800 729 729 if you're looking for information about cervical screening.
You can find support to screen information at: Screening Support Services.
The National Cervical Screening Programme relies on the collective effort of over 12,000 people to provide HPV Primary Screening across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Early detection of persistent HPV infections through HPV Primary Screening, in addition to HPV vaccination efforts, is intended to help the country meet its goal of eliminating cervical cancer.
Te Whatu Ora's role
Te Whatu Ora's National Screening Unit runs the National Cervical Screening Programme, including regional coordination of services, health promotion, and engagement with key organisations and individuals relevant to cervical screening.
The National Screening Unit (NSU) also contracts the service providers that provide screening support services for those who need additional support to be screened or to attend colposcopy appointments.
The effectiveness of cervical screening in Aotearoa New Zealand
The incidence of cervical cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand has decreased by about 50% since the NCSP began in 1990. The incidence of cervical cancer as of 2017 was 6.1 per 100,000 people with a cervix. The goal of HPV Primary Screening is to reduce this number to below 4 per 100,000.
Death caused by cervical cancer has reduced over 60% since the NCSP was introduced and cervical cancer mortality in 2016 was 1.7 per 100,000 people with a cervix.
Download: Statement from the National Screening Unit - PDF, 54 KB
on the NCSP Review of Colposcopy Services, 19 January 2007
Pātiki and Waharua Kōpito patterns
NCSP Sector Updates
We send out monthly newsletters to let people around the country know what's happening.