I thought it would be useful to give a run down of what to expect at a colposcopy (seeing as I’ve had a ridiculous number of them in the past few months).
You will be most likely referred to have a colposcopy after an abnormal smear. This does not mean you have cancer – just that the smear found cells that are abnormal or pre-cancerous.
So, at the colposcopy clinic, if you have a good clinician he/she will explain what will happen. For me, I was asked to strip from the waist down, put a white paper sheet over my front and lie on my back in a special chair.
With my leg up in stirrups, they opened my vagina with a speculum. At this point I squealed because it REALLY hurt – I told the clinician this and she swapped it for a smaller one which was more comfortable. This should all be familiar from your smear test.
The clinician will then insert the colposcope which is a tiny camera on a stick, essentially. I had the camera screen to my side where I could see it as well. Although I decided not to after a while!
A solution will then be applied to your cervix – acid or iodine, I think. It didn’t hurt, strangely I couldn’t really feel it. This solution should show up abnormalities/lesions.
At this point, I had a punch biopsy (three at one point!). It was a sharp pinch as they removed cell samples from my transformation zone. This is when it started bleeding and I couldn’t look at the screen. I had a wonderful nurse who held my hand throughout and talked and talked to me. REALLY helped at this point.
To stop the bleeding, they put on a substance called Monsel’s Solution with a cotton swap. This really pushed against my bladder and was when I felt the urge to pee more than ever. I always got worried at this point I was going to pee but the clinician always reassured me that I wouldn’t. God knows if I did or not!
The solution will stop the bleeding but will lead to discharge for less than a day afterwards (for me at least). It’s a discharge a bit like coffee granules!
It also means you’ll have tummy pains similar to period cramps. So bring painkillers and sanitary pads with you.
And that’s it. No sex or tampons for a few weeks either (and no douching, but who douches really?). The sample can then be sent off and you’ll be called back for follow up smears if it’s a low grade abnormality or treatment (usually LLETZ or a cone biopsy) if it’s a higher abnormality. If it’s worse than that, they’ll discuss treatment with you and your individual circumstance.
I’m sure that I got some facts and names wrong as I’m not a gynaecologist, and I’m sure everyone has different experiences – for example, I know some women have their colposcopies under local anaesthetic. But this is my experience and I hope it helps someone.
Let's get cervical 