colposcopy

if anybody has had a colposcopy, please tell me about it. im getting one soon, and im nervous. the gyno said my pap tested pos for hpv.

I had one about 6 months ago. It's sort of a more involved pap. Takes longer, slightly more uncomfortable, tests more cells. They know now that hpv causes cervical cancer, so they try to be safer rather than sorry. When they get the results they will call for more action, or more monitoring. Like a follow-up pap in 6 months, for example, which is what I am having this month.

i read online that sometimes if the gyno/doc sees something abnoral they will do a biopsy right then and there. does anybody know anything about this/had it done?

m0lissa- thanks for the info. it makes me feel better that somebody else has gone through it. when is your 6 month follow up? when they called you, did they see anything bad? or is the 6 month follow up just routine procedure?

I'm going to get one too! I'm afraid of it because even paps hurt me like crazy for a day, so this should be loads of fun. But, I think you might be able to ask your doctor if they have any special procedures that can help numb you up a bit, which I think mine offers, and they said to be sure to take OTC medicine like ibuprofin beforehand to reduce any pain, and to try to relax and take deep breaths while it's happening so you don't tense up.

I think they might take a biopsy at the time if they see something that looks strange, which is kind of a blessing in disguise, since you hopefully wouldn't have to come back a second time to get the biopsy done and can get it all in one sitting. That's what I'm most scared of, honestly, because I tried to have an IUD inserted once and even that being what it was was pretty terrible. Do you have anyone that could come with you while you have the procedure done? It's really not supposed to  be that bad, but it never hurts to have loved ones around.

Anyway, just wanted to empathize with you since I'm getting one too. If you don't mind, let us know how it goes cause I need to prepare myself too. Good luck!

mOlissa is partially right.  Some strains of hpv can cause cervical cancer.  some can cause genital warts, and other strains of hpv are perfectly harmless and will go away on their own.

Never heard of a colposcopy, though.  I'm guessing it's so they can figure out what kind of hpv you have.

I have a relative who has 2 different strains of it.  One of them that she has has been known to cause problems.  On a side note, even if you have the kind that is harmless, you should really make sure to warn any future sexual partners that you might have.  Men can get it from you and even though it is harmless to them, they can still pass it on to other female partners that they might later have.  My relative does NOT tell her partners about this and I think it's increadibly irresponsible of her...She should know better, and I've told her this as well.

I've had 3 of them as generally in the UK, you have them every 6 months until the cells clear up or treatment is needed. To put your mind at rest, although a colposcopy isn't the way I'd choose to spend a morning, i didn't dread going back!

I had my last one a couple of years ago and I actually found it less embarrassing than a pap.  The gyno I went to see handled it very sensitively, explained the whole process and made me feel as comfortable as possible.  The process basically involves looking at your cervix to further check any abnormalities using a colposcope, which is something that helps magnify the areas your gyno/doctor needs to see and isn't nearly as scary as it sounds I promise you! Your cervix is usually swabbed/sprayed with acetic acid or iodine to help highlight the abnormalities and whilst this stings slightly, it's more uncomfortable than painful. I did find the process of having the sample cells taken ( I like to think of it that way - the word biopsy is just too scary and big a word for what they actually do!) a little painful...kinda like having a band aid pulled off...and the process did make me feel a little nauseous the third time I had it done.

When I had mine done, the colposcope sent data to a screen, which I actually found quite fascinating (I mean, how often do you get to see that?!) and took my mind off the process a little...but if you are squeamish, you don't have to look. 

After the procedure, you may bleed a little and are usually given a pad to wear home.

All in all - well done for taking care of your health this way!  Many women I know refuse to go regularly for their paps (or smears as we call them in the UK) due to embarrasment factors etc... which is so silly when you consider that such a simple test can save your life.

thank you all so much for sharing your stories!! i really appreciate it!! I feel a little less nervous now.

:]

Your doctor can tell which strains of HPV you have from your pap smear.  If you did not have one of the high risk strains, you would not need a colposcopy.  I have had a few of these over the years, before I stopped testing positive for HPV, and although it wasn't totally awesome, it didn't really bother me that much.  It doesn't really hurt if they take a biopsy, it's more like you just feel some pressure.  It's only a very small sample that they take, and it is really nothing to worry about if they do take one.  It is mostly just erring on the side of caution.  I sometimes felt like I had mild cramps for the rest of the day after the colp. but nothing more then that.  This procedure is to ensure that you and your cervix stay healthy and you'll get used to it, just like having a pap smear! 

Don't be scared, I had one 4 years ago. It was a pinch that went pretty fast. I had spotting afterwards. Good luck! After my colposcopy results came back I had to go in to get cells cut out and that hurt to be honest, but my doctor gave me nothing but advil. I haven't had a bad pap since :-)

hey, i got the colposcopy and biopsy done. the doc said i have moderate CIN cervical dysplasia.

anybody know anything about this/experienced it?