Cervical cancer screening in Canada, 2026
Provincial and territorial screening guidelines
Provinces and territories recommend that cervical cancer screening begin at age 21 or 25, continue until age 65-70, and occur every two to five years. Jurisdictional guidelines differ in part based on whether HPV testing or Pap testing is used as the primary mode of screening. Please refer to the Modalities page to learn about the primary cervical cancer screening test used in each jurisdiction.
Cervical cancer screening guidelines
| P/T | Age eligibility | Routine screening interval | Plans to increase cervical cancer screening start age to 25 | Latest guideline update (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YT* | No organized screening program available | |||
| NT | 25 in asymptomatic women and individuals with a cervix, who are, or ever have been sexually active to age 69 | Three years | Implemented in 2025 | 2025 |
| NU | Annual until three consecutive negative tests, then every two years | No current plans | ||
| BC | 25 (if sexually active) to 69 | Three or five years, depending on primary screen test used | Implemented in 2016 | 2024 |
| AB | 25-69 | Pap: Three years
HPV: Five years if immunocompetent and three years if immunocompromised |
Implemented in 2016 | 2016: Pap
2026: HPV primary testing – in progress |
| SK | 25-69 | Three years | Implemented in 2023 | 2023 |
| MB | 21–69 with adequate negative screening history in previous 10 years (i.e. 3 or more negative tests) | Three years | Will formally increase screening start age to 25 with implementation of primary HPV testing | 2023 (with introduction of HPV triage testing) |
| ON | 25-69 (some people may screen until age 74) | Five years if immunocompetent and three years if immunocompromised | 2025 | |
| QC | 25-65 in regions with HP testing (13/18 regions)
21–65 in regions without HPV testing. Work is underway for the five regions that do not currently offer HPV primary screening with liquid‑based cytology. |
Two to three years in regions without HPV testing
Five years if immunocompetent and three years if immunocompromised |
Phased rollout: HPV testing implemented in 13/18 regions | May 2024: latest update to INESS notice |
| NB | 25 (or three years post-first sexual contact, whichever occurs later) to 69 year olds who have a cervix and have ever been sexually active | Every three years after three negative results | Implemented in January 2025 | 2025 |
| NS | 25-70 | Three years | Implemented in 2019 | |
| PE | 25-65 66 or older can discontinue screening with an adequate negative prior screening history (i.e., either two consecutive negative primary HPV tests, three negative cytology tests, or a combination of both — e.g., one HPV test and two cytology tests — completed within the last 10 years) |
Five years | Implemented HPV primary screening in May 2023 | 2023 |
| NL | 21-70 with adequate negative screening history in previous 10 years (i.e., three or more negative tests) | Annual until three consecutive negative tests, then every three years | Under consideration as program develops plan to transition to HPV primary cervical cancer screening | Revisions in progress |
Data are current as of February 2026.
*Footnotes
YT: Yukon will be following BC guidelines.
ON: People with one negative HPV test result from age 65 to 69 can stop cervical screening, with a few exceptions. The following people should screen until age 74: people who were not screened from age 65 to 69, immunocompromised populations, and people who have been discharged from colposcopy, but who have not yet met the criteria to return to routine cervical screening by age 69.
NL: Planning a Spring 2026 phased-in transition to HPV primary screening. In phase 1, HPV screening offered to those 50-69 years of age. Phase 2 will offer HPV screening to all individuals 25-69 years of age.