Summary- in the UK what are the smear recall guidelines when dealing with persistent CIN 1 and HPV results?
Hi everyone. I came back positive HPV with low grade CIN1 changes first time having a smear back in 2021. Follow up with colposcopy few months later confirming results. Had another smear after 12 months which came back CIN 1 HPV positive again. So no changes.
Medical professionals said they don’t need to treat it, but will keep an eye and monitor again in 12 months.
I’ve been told it usually goes away within a couple years, and if not then they’ll consider intervention.
But I’ve just had the labs reject the latest smear. They said that I’m on a 3 year recall not 1 year. I’m so confused. I thought that regulation was to monitor every 12 months if they keep coming back CIN1 (esp with HPV positive). I’ve spoken to my doctors who checked with labs and said it was not a mistake.
It’s been distressing enough waiting another year but to have the procedure only for them to reject it and be no closer to finding out the progress of this is really upsetting me.
Please can anyone help/give me some info please. I can’t find clear results online. So much focuses on the next steps if you get your FIRST abnormal smear.
Hi Rose
Sorry to hear about your confusion and your anxiety!
I am wondering your age and whether that has anything to do with the recall level you are put on. If you are young they may be more content to space the monitoring apart? I will have a look and see if I can find any info for you x
I am turning 28 this year.
I actually found letters from hospital where I had my last colposcopy which clearly states I am “next due in 12 months time from now and this is to be dealt with by GP”. That was almost a year and a half ago- so I’m actually late!
I told GP and they said they will do the smear again and send it off with that hospital letter attached. But it still makes no sense to me why they refused it in the first place.
I wondered if because you are less than 30 they have chosen this way?
I did have a look and couldn’t find anything related to that though
I did find this
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-care-pathway/cervical-screening-care-pathway
Under section 2 it mentions about a 36 month recall if HPV positive with low grade changes after colposcopy.
But this does sound quite different to the experiences other ladies on her have had but perhaps because you have been seen by a colposcopist already they have chosen this pathway?
Doesn’t make sense with the letters though, it’s good your GP is sending it off with letter attached…you’ll have to let us know what happens. Maybe they changed the pathways between you seeing the colposcopist and this new smear? There is no date on the gov link so not sure when the guidance was issued x
This is a really interesting link thank you!! Had a deep dive through it and saw that 36 months recall you mentioned in second 2. But when I looked closer it was referring to when the smear comes back abnormal cell changes but the colposcopy shows no cell changes.
Yeah I’m glad the GP are trying to help. I will update when I get results… probably in about 2 months as I need to wait for another appointment and 6 weeks for results.
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Sorry I missed reading that bit! It is strange then as you seem to be in between pathways
Best wishes for it all x
