Scotland and Wales have already introduced this change, which will start in England from 1 July.
Cancer Research UK urged women and people with a cervix not to wait for a screening invitation if they noticed any unusual changes.
They are encouraged to go for regular cervical screening between the ages of 25 and 64, external.
Currently, those aged 50-64 are invited every five years and 25-49 year olds every three years.
NHS England says it now wants to spare younger women appointments they don’t need as part of “a more personalised approach”.
Cervical screening involves testing for HPV, human papillomavirus. Some types of HPV can cause cell changes in the cervix, which may develop into cancer over time. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are linked to high-risk HPV.
If that HPV test is negative, studies suggest the chances of someone developing cervical cancer over the next 10 years is very low.
This is more accurate than looking for cancer cells on their own.
A recent study, external showed that screening every five years is as safe as doing it every three years, because the same number of cancers are found and fewer screening tests are needed.
