Abnormal cervical smear test results: old dilemmas and new directions.

Primary care professionals play a major role in the cervical screening programme in the United Kingdom, especially since the new contract for general practitioners. Many aspects of the programme are still the subject of broad debate and detailed research. New policies regarding the programme are generated at various levels; feedback is not always made directly available to primary care teams. This review article attempts to summarize the current available literature on cervical screening, focusing on the meaning of minor degrees of dysplasia, cervical cancer in younger women, the role of the wart virus, frequency of smear tests, diagnosis and treatment, counselling, and concludes with practical advice to help the practice team.