A week ago I had my smear and today I received my results … I am positive for hpv and they have found changes in some cells called borderline changes and I Am waiting for a colposcopy … has anyone else been through this ? My head is a mess and I don’t know what any of it means
And I don’t have my colposcopy until 9th August …
Hi @Sapphire30
Borderline changes basically just means they have found the tiniest changes in the cells that fall short of low grade, to put your mind at rest this is NOT cancer x it’s the lowest type of change you can have and these type of cells often go back to normal on their own without treatment 
The cells on smears can range from normal, borderline, mild (low grade/CIN1) moderate (high grade/CIN2) to severe (CIN3 or higher)… depending on your age some woman can have borderline/low grade changes without HPV being present (without an active HPV infection it carries no risk to being CIN or the possibility of developing CC) so the invite for colposcopy will generally be as a precaution as per the national guidelines since you have an active infection, the fact your appointment is so far away is actually a very good thing this means they don’t suspect CC when this is suspected you would generally be seen within the 2 week pathway, which would be extremely unlikely since the changes on your cervix are borderline x
Hiya, yes I have had treatment for the same thing because of those results. Borderline changes are not cancer cells. Colposcopy is to make sure they check the uterus and vagina wall . If u need treatment for lletz which I had only because of the HPV was due to my age of 51. Please try not to stress. Not going to say I didn’t as I did but I made sure prior to the colposcopy I asked what HPV and what the changes meant. From what I remember I was also told that I could ring the colposcopy clinic and ask to speak to the team to explain things .
When I had my colposcopy they couldn’t see anything but said that they would like to do the lletz treatment to make sure they didn’t miss anything.
My stress factors were down to my mum as she had womb cancer and because I was so stressed out they were extra sensitive to my feelings. Always ask if you are finding it hard to cope. I hope that you reach out to them so they can clarify things in more detail. Good luck xxzx
My colposcopy was due 9th of august but they rung me to go in last Tuesday , which I did … I expected for them to just burn off the abnormal cells but she took a biopsy and said it would be 4 weeks for the results … she said I have high risk HPV and abnormal cells , constantly worrying what the biopsy results will be … and it the letter she sent to my doctor and which I received a copy off says that further treatment will be needed , has anyone else had this as I am just constantly worrying …
I also haven’t had any symptoms because I’m on the depo so I don’t bleed at all just worried
Hi Sapphire,
I had the same experience, if she’s saying it’ll be 4 weeks for the results it doesn’t sound like your cell changes are severe. I had mine within a week.
Hello everyone. I am waiting on my smear results too, I am sure they are not good. Had a leep last year, clear margins and still have problems. Last smear was February followed by a biopsy and now a smear 2 weeks ago. Secretary was very dodgy on the phone so I am positive these results are bad and will go back for another biopsy. This just sucks and seems it will never go away…. Down in the dumps and feel scared like you too… 
I feel the same , when I went for my colposcopy I was told they would take all the abnormal cells off my cervix and I would have a another smear sooner down the line to see if it worked bur she didn’t she only took 2 or 3 biopsy’s, she didn’t do any treatment and all she said was not to worry she will treat it , which I wasn’t sure what she meant , but it’s just strange she didn’t take the other cells away and the look in her eyes was as if she knew something , , still waiting for my results , it’s the waiting that’s driving me insane … 15th of august they should be back by ,
It is hard and it is making me scared but in a way the way I am trying not to over thinking it and to look at it is , it’s high lighted they know about it and they can help , fingers crossed our results are good , xx
Hello Sapphire. I go this coming Friday for another biopsy, low grade changes supposedly found this time. So I guess this will be my 6 month routine, smear, biopsy and maybe treatment, wash , rinse, repeat for the rest of my life. The leep did not work despite the high success rate it shows for me. I had clear margins and he said it was the best possible leep outcome, yet here we are again…. Good luck on your results, please let us know on this chat how it went for you.
Sometimes, the colposcopist will see the abnormal area and will treat at that appointment. Other times, your smear result may have indicated the presence of abnormal cells, but what the colposcopist sees doesn’t correlate with that result - so to avoid the risk of ‘overtreating’ an area which actually might turn out to be a lower grade abnormality and which would likely clear without treatment, they take biopsies first to clarify. Taking biopsies doesn’t mean that they have found something dreadful, it just means they are double checking. Sometimes a CIN 2 result on your smear actually turns out to be CIN 1 on a biopsy, for example, and actually won’t need treatment.
