Hello. Hoping someone can share their similar experiences and hopefully positivity…
First smear test (almost 25) and it is high HPV+ and CIN1. I am now waiting for my colposcopy. What difference is this going to show? Can the CIN category differ from smear test result, if so, why? (Petrified to think it could be worse!)
A few months into having a Mirena coil I experienced pain and bleeding during sex. The coil was surgically removed as it displaced yet I still have pain during sex months later. So I was not shocked to see an abnormal test result as I feel something isn’t right. I’m now absolutely petrified to have any local anaesthetic, biopsies or treatment from previous experience getting a Mirena coil painfully inserted and the experience ever since.
Hi Anna, I have had some experience with this as I had a smear come back positive for HPV and showing low grade changes when I was 32. I was sent to colposcopy and was terrified the cell changes would turn out to be worse on closer inspection. Even waiting for the biopsy results after colposcopy made me really nervous. In the end though that was all that was there, CIN 1. I had the same results four years in a row (always checked at colposcopy and with biopsy every time) before testing negative for HPV and going back onto the 3 year screening schedule. Last year I went for the follow up (I’m now 41) and annoyingly the virus is back, and I have cell changes, but due to some frustrating circumstances I still don’t have all the information about my results.
It’s really understandable that your experience with the Mirena coil has made you anxious about having any more procedures. The punch biopsies I had at coploscopy were really nothing to worry about - I will admit to hating the local anaesthetic but beyond that I was absolutely fine during and after. It helps to take painkillers about 30 mins before if you can, and let the colposcopy team know about your coil related pain and trauma, they should be doing all they can to reassure you and make it less stressful.
Waiting for appointments and results is horrible, I feel for you. I have called the helpline at times for support with waiting and they’ve been great so I recommend that if you haven’t contacted them yet.
Hi Amy, thank you for taking the time to read my story and share your experience across a number of years. It must have been an anxious time being CIN1 and just monitoring and waiting for 4 years hoping nothing progresses. I hope that your results come back as soon as possible and a better outcome this time round again!
Thank you so much for the reassurance. I have tried reading about the biopsy to make me feel less anxious. Believe it or not, I happily booked in straightaway to get my first smear test as soon as I got my letter as I’ve had that many gynae examinations (i knew it would feel nothing compared to that Mirena coil experience!). I was eager to encourage all my other 24.5yr old friends who I knew had their first letters too to get theirs done!!!… so I was devastated getting these results back and I’ve not told anyone.
Thank you for the tip about painkillers beforehand and the helpline. I will certainly do that, as even this forum has been a fantastic help x
Hi Anna,
Just thought I’d send a message to say I hope everything goes well and to say I am going through exactly the same situation (first ever smear at 25, HPV+ and low grade changes). I got my smear results in October last year and have had to wait 16 weeks for a colposcopy which has been torture. This forum has helped a lot and if feel like I know as much about this as I possibly could but I am still very concerned that the colposcopy will find something worse. I have also been suffering from deep pain during sex for around 5 years now but up until now thought this was probably in my head. Got my colposcopy on Monday and feeling scared but at least we all know we aren’t alone in this and it’s very common. Best of luck!
Really sorry to hear you are going through the same (although it is reassuring to know we aren’t alone!)
Can low grade changes explain the pain? Because gosh it’s awful! I had endo removed previously from other areas and they have since found “tethering” behind my cervix on an ultrasound whatever that means, so I wonder if my pain is related to this… either way this recent result has completely put me off sex altogether!
Best of luck for Monday, let me know how it goes! Mine is on Wednesday x
I hope you’re doing okay. I know how worrying it is when you get the letter in.
I first tested positive for HPV in 2019 when I was 23 or 24. I had a smear test every year and my test in March last year showed Borderline changes, and I was advised this was CIN1. I had to wait from March until November before I could be seen at Colposcopy. The Dr advised the cell changes looked to be higher in grade due than my smear suggested, and this was probably due to the time that passed whilst I waited on an appointment.
I had 3 biopsies taken and they did not hurt, it was like a very dull period cramp but nothing that would make you jump, it was not in any way as bad as I expected. My results came back at the end of Nov 23 and I have CIN3 and CGIN. On Thurs last week I had my LLETZ procedure using local anaesthetic. I was terrified for this but I can honestly say it was just the same as having the biopsies taken. The needle pain wasn’t the sharp pain you’d expect, it was just a very dull period type pain similar to the biopsy. At no point during the procedure did I feel in serious pain or discomfort. The worst part of the whole thing was the speculum!
I have everything crossed for you that your CIN1 resolves itself! They may well take some biopsies just to be on the safe side, but I don’t believe a LLETZ procedure would be offered for CIN1, though I could be wrong.
I am waiting on the results of my LLETZ procedure and hope everything is okay.
Sending you all my love and I hope you get on okay xx
Sorry, just to follow up, I mentioned to the Dr that I’d had some bleeding and pain during sex, she advised the bleeding could be relating to the cell changes, or my contraceptive pill, and she said the pain could likely be from the cell changes.
Thank you so much for sharing your story!! That certainly has put me at ease for Wednesday regarding any pain (or not so!) that I may experience during the colposcopy. Really hope your results come back soon and they have treated everything they need given the delay you had!
It’s interesting to know the pain might be due to cell changes keep seeing conflicting info saying cell changes have no symptoms. Given your recent LLETZ and no results through I suspect it’s too early for you to notice any improvements with pain as of yet, but hope that resolves for you. It’s bad enough having cell changes but to have symptoms also, isn’t nice!
Take care of yourself and thank you again for the time sharing your story and offering reassurance x
Had my colposcopy two days ago. All went well, it was uncomfortable but over pretty quickly and the nurses do well to keep you calm. They put the speculum in (which hurt for a few seconds) and then they looked at my cervix with a camera microscope. I could see it on the screen which was a strange experience! The doctor put some liquid on to show any abnormalities but nothing changed. She said it looked like a normal young persons cervix. She had told me before the appointment that she planned to take a biopsy so I think she took one to make extra sure. It was a tiny little pinch for two seconds and it didn’t hurt at all. She just took the one and then I was done. I also asked if it was possible that the changes had cleared up on their own since it had been 6 months from my smear test to the colposcopy and she said it was definitely possible. She said the results would take 8 weeks. More waiting!
Not had any cramping at all and no bleeding which has been good. Just a little bit of light brown discharge. Felt relieved after the appointment but I’ve got myself a bit panicked now that it’ll come back as something they couldn’t see from the outside but I am prone to anxiety!
Mentioned the pain during sex and the doctor didn’t say much. I think it’s a symptom of a lot of other things like cysts and fibroids or endometriosis so hopefully unrelated to the cell changes.
Hope everything goes well with you, let us know how you get on!
I hope you’re doing okay. I thought I’d respond as I also had a bad experience with a coil in the past, as well as abnormal smear results, though mine were CIN 3. I had my colposcopy and LLETZ treatment on Monday.
Regarding the coil, for me both the insertion, and the removal, were painful and traumatic. So I was understandably nervous, like you, to undergo any gynaecological procedure after that and was dreading my colposcopy, for all the reasons you’ve stated.
For me, the colposcopy and the LLETZ treament under local anaesthetic was nowhere near as bad as the coil removal and not as bad as I thought it would be in general. Even the needle doesn’t hurt as much as you might imagine! It was over within minutes.
Since you’re being seen for CIN1, they may not even offer that treatment, but if they do, you’ll be able to handle it, promise.
Thank you both so much. Having amazing women sharing their experiences is so helpful and has not made me feel alone at any point!
I had mine this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised… I think I was even smiling at the end (major sigh of relief, the biopsy was JUST a pinch!) no painkillers taken (completely forgot after a lovely lady on here kindly recommended) or local anaesthetic needed…completely nothing to worry about.
I think the bad experience with the coil gave me total anxiety going into this. After a positive experience I don’t think I’ll be so nervous for anything gynae wise now. Had a lovely nurse and gynae doing mine and they spent the time to make me feel at ease during the process.
They said they could see what they believe is mild cell changes and a cervical ectropion. Just the wait for the results now. Having an MRI to see whether the endometriosis is causing pain during sex. I’m not so worried about the cell changes after all the info I have been reading (they are possibly only mild and can resolve!), just the symptoms for the time being, so if that can be resolved I’ll feel happier in my body moving forward x
Just in case anyone is reading this, I want to say that I got my results back today (exactly 9 weeks after the colposcopy) and all was normal. Very relieved but a bit annoyed I spent so long worrying about it. Hope everything went well with you @Anna255 and everyone else!
and everyone else!
