Boarderline changes and HPV positive from smear...

[2805]

My anxiety is going through the roof!
Has anyone else had this or something similar?
I am being referred for a colposcopy because of the infection.
My dad had just been going through treatment for cancer and now all I can think of is I'm going to be told I have cervical cancer

 

[Nataliieexo]

I have had mild changes to mine for the past two years I have had 5 biopsys.
My latest results show high changes so I'm booked in for Monday to them removed, the anxiety has really upped since these results. At the moment it's the process of the removal that worrys me then what the results will be.

 

[2805]

I have had mild changes to mine for the past two years I have had 5 biopsys.
My latest results show high changes so I'm booked in for Monday to them removed, the anxiety has really upped since these results. At the moment it's the process of the removal that worrys me then what the results will be.

Hope everything goes well for you Monday and its over and done with quickly!
Its defo the waiting around that's worse x

 

[MindUtopia]

Yes, it's very normal. 80% of sexually active women have HPV. Some is the kind that gives you genital warts and some is the kind that causes cervical changes. But many women will have an abnormal smear as a result eventually, so much so that in many places they don't even test for it because it's a bit pointless since it's so common. But yes, I had my first abnormal smear in probably 2008. I had to wait nearly 2 years for the colposcopy because I was living in the U.S. at the time and couldn't afford it (no insurance). I eventually had it and they biopsied a bit of cervix and it was abnormal, but just barely. The advice was just to give it time. In most cases, it clears on its own when your body flushes out the infection, but it can take a few years for that to happen. I had a few abnormal ones after that, but since 2011 or so it's been normal again. I've had another colposcopy since then just because they thought they saw something weird and I had been having some unusual heavy bleeding, but it turned out to be nothing. So I've had no problems at all for about 6 years now. HPV does cause cervical cancer, but only in a very small percentage of cases. For most women, they'll never even notice they have it and it likely clears eventually and doesn't cause any further problems. So the odds are definitely in your favour and I would try not to worry too much about it now unless you have a reason to.

 

[Scout]

I've had abnormal smears off and on for years. I did have one 3 years ago that came back with HPV but the follow up a year later came back normal. I've never been offered a colposcopy, just told to follow up in a year and see if it's still abnormal with HPV. Good luck

 

[jd83]

Try not to stress. The whole point of cervical screening is to catch changes and lesions BEFORE they ever get to the point of cancer. It's a very effective method. A colposcopy will show them if there are any lesions on the cervix caused by HPV infection. If there are, they will determine what grade they are (low or high). Low grade lesions typically can resolve on their own (although some physicians do remove the lesion by LEEP or Cone biopsy), but they will have you come in for follow up more often than they would for someone with a normal, negative pap test, so they can check that the lesion has either resolved, or not progressed. high grade lesions will be removed by LEEP or Cone biopsy. Once fully removed, cervix typically goes right back to negative paps. Cervical cancer is not common, due to the the effectiveness of screening to catch early lesions and remove them when needed. I do cancer diagnostics for a living, and can count on one hand the number of actual cervical cancer cases I've personally seen in the last 10 yrs of doing this job.