I received my smear results yesterday, which are HPV positive but no abnormal cells, but this is the 3rd year in a row so I’ve been referred for a colposcopy. In truth, I’m terrified. I know that it’s just to check it all all, and I have no reason to be worried, but I am riddled with anxiety about it all.
How long did it take to get your colposcopy appointment letter in the post? Will I be awaiting another few weeks until I know when I’ll be going? The nurse mentioned it was 6 weeks in terms of having the appointment when I had my smear, but waiting 3 weeks for my smear results was hard enough. With 19 days worth of post strikes in October I’m worried the letter won’t get to me for weeks.
Hello I just wanted to reply I was in near enough the same situation, 2 smears hpv no no changes on the last one I had borderline and hpv so was sent for colposcopy, my wait time was stupidly long as in months which I couldn’t wait for as my anxiety Was through the roof so i had to very reluctantly go private, which I know I’m very lucky to do but I wanted to reassure you about the colposcopy, no pain at all, yes you feel it but I’ve had much more painful smears. I would have no hesitation doing it again,it’s just the embarrassment of it I found not pleasant. I’ve had my results and There were no dodgy cells to be found so I was very relieved, back on 3 yearly wait. I just wanted to tell you this as I was so worried, and as you have no borderline changes I’m sure you will be absolutely fine. Wishing you well and hope the wait isn’t long😊
I think it really depends on where you live unfortunately. I’m in the same boat, had my smear at the end of June, got my results 5 weeks after that stating i’d been referred to colposcopy.
I’m still waiting for a letter/appointment details about the colposcopy, so thats just over 8 weeks since referral.
I telephoned them in August and was told they were processing the referrals from May. So from that, im guessing end of july/early august referrals will be processed early to mid October. Im hoping for a colposcopy appointment before Christmas!
Previous years, ive always had my colposcopy wighin 6 weeks of being referred. The lists are vast this year!
You can check your region on https://www.myplannedcare.nhs.uk/ to get an idea of gynae waiting times - but they arent broken down by specific appointment types.
Fingers crossed youre in a region that has shorter waiting times and that you get seen quickly.
Thank you so much for your reply, and also the reassurance… I 100% found myself in an internet hole when I got the results and I think I scared myself half to death!
I have considered going private, do you mind sharing how much it cost? I’m currently looking into some quotes. But I have also told myself to at least wait a couple of weeks to see if I get an appointment through.
Thanks so much and great to hear you had good results
Altogether it was £900, inc biopsy, and consultation, a lot of money but I don’t regret it. I did try and wait and follow the nhs path but in the end the anxiety just took over. I really really hope you don’t have to wait long, and if you haven’t called the helpline connected to this site then please do, they were amazing, and really helped me more then any doctor.
Thanks @Starbar for the jnfo about going orivate. Good to know!
Ive also considered the private route but my concern is about dropping off the nhs pathway.
If i got a private colposcopy and just needed cells removed, that probably wouldnt affect my nhs future recalls, so theres not much risk there.
If anything more serious was going on and i needed treatment though, would i have to go private for that too? I think once youve got diagnosis from the nhs, things are much quicker. Its the screenings that take too long.
So if we could do smears and colposcopies privately, then get referred back to nhs for actual treatment, that would be ideal! Some ladies have found that the two separate pathways dont integrate with each other very well though, and others have reported that private care falls down a bit if your situation is non-standard.
@Starbar The waiting is tough! I think if id been given an appointment date at least, even 3 months in the future, i could at least get my head around that.
Im just telling myself this:
a) none of us has cancer till we’ve been told we have cancer. I need to focus on actual factual things to worry about in life, not possibilities and maybes, that i cant influence anyway.so i try to forget ive even had any smear results.
b) there are ladies that need to jump the queue and be seen quicker, because maybe theyve had cancer are needing their test of cure or whatever so their need is greater than mine and their worry is real.
It doesnt always work, but its just insane how waiting for results can screw with your mind and stop you getting on with your life!
Id love to hear more from ladies whove gone private after having repeated abnormal smears and long term hpv+. And anyone who then went back to nhs for actual treatment?
I did ask the secreatary on the nhs Gyno ward that if I needed treatment after going private would I be at the back of the queue as having gone private with the colposcopy, she just said I’d be placed as normal according to the treatment I needed. So I guess It would just be a case of waiting… again!! The whole waiting thing is just awful, I know it can’t be helped though, It baffles me how they going to manage it if hpv is so common!!
Hi. I waited 16 weeks for my smear results to come back. I then was sent the letter to say that i have high risk HPV and cell changes. It stated on the letter that it was an 8 week wait for an appointment. I then recieved a letter 4 weeks later to say that it is now a 44 week wait for coloscopy!!
I am a single mum of 2 young kids and i am absolutely terrified. I cant afford to go private and i have now had a mental breakdown due to my stress levels being through the roof. I now need to inform my employer as i am too ill to even get myself to work. This is all very worrying.
I am so sorry to hear all of the stress this is putting you through.
It might be worth calling the hospital to see if you can get a cancellation, I’ve seen on other threads that people have been successful getting appointments that way if you have cell changes I imagine you will be higher on the list than someone like myself.
Like HPVpants said, maybe give the helpline number a call - they may be able to give you some advice which can ease the anxiety of it all.
Speaking to all you lovely ladies and the support network I have at home I feel a lot better than I did, so thank you… and now I just wait!!
Just to let you know I’ve received my appointment for my colposcopy this morning.
The letter is dated the same date as the results letter, so sadly I think I’ve had a week of worrying about getting my appointment and I’ve been a victim of the post strikes at the end of last week…! It’s come through for November - I’m a bit disappointed it’s not sooner but I feel I can wait now as Autumn said mentioned it’s a lot easier when you have a date.
Thats great news @Starbar! Pleased you’ve got a date now. Hopefully thats the end of the waiting game for you.
If your colposcopy doesnt warrant a biopsy (if they don’t see any visible abnormal cells after applying the liquids) you’ll get the results there and then on the day and just go back to regular smear recalls.
The challenge is to try and forget about it for the time being if you can.
I’m sorry to hear how stressful this is for you. I hope youre able to find a little bit of reassurance from the ladies on this site.
Is this the first time you’ve had smear results like this? I know it isnt easy but please try to relax and remember the colposcopy is still just a screening test to get a better look at the cell changes and see how likely they would be to turn to cancer if left untreated.
I understand how worrying it is. I was in bits the first time i got results stating HPV+ and cell changes. I went through all of the usual “where did i get it? How long must i have had it? Has my partner been unfaithful? Will he think ive been unfaithful? Does he have it? What does that mean for him? Can you pass it on to your kids through childbirth?” and then the inevitable “is the writing on the wall? Am i going to get cancer now if this is persistent?”.
Within 5 minutes of having a colposcopy, i had forgotten every single one of those worries and came out thinking, “what a load of fuss I made about nothing”.
It was a really painless procedure (there was no biopsy involved first time for me). I would 100% rather have a colposcopy than a smear every time.
I realise there are lots of possible outcomes, but if you can, try and remember that the negative ones are much rarer than the positive ones.
I’ve now been testing positive for hpv for about 7 years and it has had ZERO impact on my life so far.
Thankyou for your responses. I have been to my gp quite a few times over the past 3 years with lots of pain, bleeding and im having trouble passing urine. I was dreading my smear and was actuallyv2 months late hetting it this time as i knew myself something might come back.
My smears have always been normal. I am hoping that i might be seen a bit earlier. My gp has given me some gel to use just now for the next few months. I think it is BV gel but it should help to keep my cervix in a better condition apparently!
I am so glad i have found this forum as it has put my mind at ease a little.
Please don’t feel worried I had the same results has you and had to have a biopsy. The waiting is not nice but my results came back and no cell changes still have hpv fingers crossed my body fights it! Hpv is very common in us all it just means they are keeping more an eye on things all good! Stay positive and don’t worry too much about the colscopy x
I have just got home from my colposcopy. I was tossing and turning from 3am, and so so worried what they would find.
The nurse was fantastic, and explained a few things which were really helpful.
Apparently they are now testing for what strain you have and they will tell you if you have one of the two main strains that possibly lead to cervical cancer. Luckily I don’t have one of those and my strain was classed as ‘other’
She said that due to my no abnormal cell results and the strain, that likely things would be fine and my body will clear the HPV at some point.
Onto the colposcopy, I was less worried about the procedure and more about the results - but honestly, and I really mean it- it was absolutely fine. Uncomfortable due to the speculum, but not as painful as the brush of a smear.
She thinks I have either very mild changes or she just sure the cells of the virus, so she did take a biopsy just to be sure. Now this was the bit I was worried about, and it was no where near painful as i thought it would be, I felt it - but it honestly wasn’t anything more than a scratch. A few weeks wait until my results but she doesn’t think I am going to need any treatment, which have massively put my mind at rest.
Good luck to everyone who is waiting for an appointment or waiting for results, thinking of you! Xx
