Hi everyone,
I have just received my latest smear result which came back as abnormal (no other information in regards to HPV). My previous 3 smears came back HPV positive with no cell changes and I had a colposcopy last year which also said everything looked OK. They have kept me on yearly smears to keep an eye on HPV as I just can’t seem to shift it.
I was just wondering what everyone else’s experiences have been at colposcopy after an abnormal result. The letter seems so vague, would my GP have been told anything more about what is abnormal about my result? Obviously I know I will be examined in more detail and all will be explained at my colposcopy appointment but that appointment is over a month away.
Hi,
So from my experience, They might do some punch biopsies at colposcopy depending on of they see anything. They will put a dye on your cervix and see if they can see anything abnormal. Depending on what they see/or don’t see, they will either watch and wait and invite you back 6-12months time, take a biopsy, offer some sort of treatment like Lletz or cold coagulation.
They will talk you through whatever happens though. Ask lots of questions when your there, that’s what they are there for.
After my very first screening I got invited to colposcopy. I had no idea what to expect, the letter didn’t really give any advice. There was a leaflet Ibthink that I got 
(this was 7 years nearly ago) but it briefly explained what classed as abnormal cell changes and HPV.
They put the dye on my cervix when I was there, said they could see some white areas (this I believe is the abnormal cells) and said they would take some biopsies just to check. I think 2 was taken if I remember rightly. They just told me to cough when they did it, couldn’t feel anything but slight cramping and little bleeding afterwards but nothing major for me and didn’t last more than a few hours-but everyone is different.
I got the results a few weeks later and got invited back to colposcopy for Lletz because they found it was CIN2 and 3. Them results came back with what they call clear margins so I was able to go onto ‘test of cure’ screenings every 6 months to see if the HPV had gone…
They can do treatment at colposcopy there and then if they think it is necessary. So just go in with that in mind also.
Hope everything goes OK for you when you have your appointment.
Curiosity for myself… How long did you wait to get your colposcopy appointment? Or did it come the same time as your screening result? Currently waiting on my appointment to come through to go back.
K x
Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I had my colposcopy appointment letter through the day after my screening results and it’s just over a month until the appointment. I’m trying to get through through to my GP to find out if they were given any more detail other than my result was ‘abnormal,’ as I’d like to mentally prepare myself if they did need to offer me any treatment during my appointment. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find the Lletz treatment?
H xx
To be honest I didn’t find the Lletz too bad.
They had a screen that you could see your cervix if you wanted to, but you can look away. I had a nurse up by my head just talking to me, plus I had medical students in taking notes 
they asked me first if it was OK, they have to learn somehow so I didn’t mind.
The actual treatment itself wasn’t bad at all, I personally didn’t feel anything. But I could smell like burning flesh kind of smell. The only pain I felt was from the needle to numb the cervix, that made my eyes water alot, but within seconds the pain was gone.
They shown me what they removed, but that was only because I asked to see it. I just wanted to see how much was removed and curiosity about what it looked like. It was about an oxo cube size that they removed.
Afterwards they got me to sit down for about 15mims if I remember in the waiting room. Just to check you feel OK. And then they got me to go the toilet to check for any bleeding. Once this was done they let me go home. They gave me a prescription for internal antibiotics aswell, but I don’t think this is routine, just depend on hospital I guess 
I had cramps for a few days afterwards but nothing unbearable. Just felt sorry for myself abit.
I’m. Not sure if GPs get given any more information that’s what we get in the letter but worth a try to ask.
I called colposcopy today to see if I had a date yet but they said they would book it over the phone for me so I have mine in a few weeks.
K x
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