Abnormal Cervical Screening Test
Colposcopy
If you have received an abnormal cervical screening result, you may be referred to a gynaecologist for further assessment and testing.
This may involve the need for a colposcopy. A colposcopy is a minor procedure in which a special microscope is used to examine the surface of the cervix for abnormalities. During a colposcopy, a small amount of tissue might be removed and sent to a laboratory for testing.
It is helpful to think of the vagina as a box, with a front (anterior) wall, a back (posterior) wall and a roof (cervix). The walls and roof should be strong, like thick cardboard, and keep their position even when there is pressure put against them. If they have weakened, like wet cardboard, they easily lose their shape and give in to surrounding pressure.
If you have a colposcopy, you will be asked to lie on your back, as with a cervical screening test. Your legs might be raised and supported in stirrups.
Dr. Qemer Khoshnow will insert a speculum, an instrument that opens the vagina. Then she will clean the surface of your cervix with a mild vinegar solution and might paint it with iodine, an antiseptic that turns healthy cells brown. She will then place the colposcope just outside the entrance to the vagina and look for any areas of the cervix that are abnormal. If a biopsy is needed, she will remove a small sample of tissue to send to the laboratory. This will likely feel like pressure or a slight pinch. It might take up to two weeks for the biopsy results to come back.