Should I be worried if I need a colposcopy?

A colposcopy is a safe and quick procedure. However, some women find it uncomfortable and a few experience pain. Tell the doctor or nurse (colposcopist) if you find the procedure painful, as they will try to make you more comfortable. A colposcopy is a safe procedure to have during pregnancy.

Why would a doctor recommend a colposcopy?

A colposcopy is used to find cancerous cells or abnormal cells that can become cancerous in the cervix, vagina, or vulva. These abnormal cells are sometimes called “precancerous tissue.” A colposcopy also looks for other health conditions, such as genital warts or noncancerous growths called polyps.

Is getting a colposcopy normal?

The most common reason a colposcopy is deemed necessary is if your pap smear test results are returned as abnormal. If there are unusual cells discovered through a colposcopy, your doctor will remove a sample of the cells for further testing. The thought of having to go through a colposcopy causes some stress in women.

What diseases does a colposcopy detect?

Is a colposcopy always necessary?

Colposcopy. If you have certain symptoms that could mean cancer, if your Pap test shows abnormal cells, or if your HPV test is positive, you will most likely need to have a test called colposcopy. You will lie on the exam table as you do with a pelvic exam.

Colposcopy - Should I be worried??

What are the symptoms of HPV in females?

What are the symptoms of abnormal cervical cells?

Symptoms of cervical cancer usually do not appear until abnormal cervical cells become cancerous and invade nearby tissue. The most common symptom is abnormal bleeding that starts and stops between regular menstrual periods, or that occurs after sexual intercourse, douching, or a pelvic exam.

What happens if colposcopy is abnormal?

You may need treatment if the results of your colposcopy show that there are abnormal cells in your cervix. The abnormal cells will be removed, which usually involves removing an area of the cervix about the size of a finger tip.

How long does it take to get the results of a colposcopy?

It may take 4 to 8 weeks to get colposcopy results. Your colposcopist usually sends a letter with your results. If your results take longer than this, you can call the hospital or your colposcopist to check on them.

What if cervical biopsy is positive?

However, if you recently had a cervical biopsy, you may need repeated Pap and HPV testing sooner. A positive test, on the other hand, means that cancer or precancerous cells have been found and further diagnosis and treatment may be needed.

Do you always get a biopsy with a colposcopy?

Do I Need a Cervical Biopsy? Only if your doctor finds something that doesn't look normal during your colposcopy. If they find several areas that don't look right, they'll biopsy those, too. Your doctor will do the biopsy right after your colposcopy.

How long does it take for HPV to cause abnormal cells?

HPV-related cancers often take years to develop after getting an HPV infection. Cervical cancer usually develops over 10 or more years. There can be a long interval between being infected with HPV, the development of abnormal cells on the cervix and the development of cervical cancer.

What happens if you have abnormal cells after a smear?

If your cervical smear test shows abnormal cells, you may have a different test to look closely at your cervix. This is called a colposcopy. Sometimes the doctor or nurse doing the test can see that the cells are abnormal. They may offer you treatment to remove these cells during the colposcopy.

Does a colposcopy mean I have HPV?

A colposcopy is a test to take a closer look at your cervix. The cervix is the opening to your womb from your vagina. A colposcopy is often done if cervical screening finds changes to your cells that are caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). These changed cells can turn into cervical cancer cells.

Do I need a colposcopy every year if I have HPV?

If you also have the HPV virus, you should then have a colposcopy. If you're HPV negative, you have a choice: a colposcopy or another Pap in 12 months. High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) means the cells look very different from normal cells and are probably precancerous.

What does it mean if your Pap is normal but HPV is positive?

A positive test result means that you have a type of high-risk HPV that's linked to cervical cancer. It doesn't mean that you have cervical cancer now, but it's a warning sign that cervical cancer could develop in the future.

Can HPV go away?

In most cases (9 out of 10), HPV goes away on its own within two years without health problems. But when HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and cancer. Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area.

Can a colposcopy be negative?

A negative or normal colposcopy is not an infrequent outcome, and clinicians need to be aware of the clinical value of a normal and satisfactory colposcopic assessment.To address this problem, the underlying causes need to be fully understood.

Can colposcopy remove abnormal cells?

Your colposcopist can then remove the area of tissue with the abnormal cells. This is not painful but you may feel some pressure.

How serious are precancerous cells?

Often, precancerous lesions are not invasive and a person will not develop cancer. In some cases these precancerous cells, if left alone, may go on to become “invasive” cancer cells. Sometimes, it may take these cells a few years, or even decades to progress.

How long does it take to heal from a colposcopy biopsy?

During a cone biopsy, your healthcare provider will remove a small, cone-shaped part of your cervix. They will study it under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. It usually takes about 4 to 6 weeks for your cervix to heal after this procedure.

Should I get a hysterectomy if I have precancerous cells?

If the precancerous disease is more extensive or involves adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), and the woman has completed childbearing, a total hysterectomy may be recommended. 1 During a total hysterectomy, the entire uterus (including the cervix) is removed.

How can I make my cervix healthy?

What happens if you test positive for HPV?

If you get a positive HPV test, your physician has detected one or more high risk strains of the virus on the Pap test of your cervix. If the virus stays with you for a long time, it can cause cell changes that can lead to several types of cancer.

What causes abnormal cervical cells besides HPV?

These include yeast infections, HPV, the herpes virus, or many other infections. Abnormal cells. These changes are called cervical dysplasia. The cells are not cancerous but may be precancerous.