If you just received your pap smear results and the cells viewed by the medical technician looked suspicious, you may be heading into the doctor’s office for a colposcopy exam. This is a follow-up exam that will allow the doctor to take a look at your cervix so he or she can determine if your cervical cells look normal or abnormal. Colposcopy exams are a part of standard cervical cancer prevention procedures.

This exam is similar to the pap smear procedure you already experienced. You will change from your clothes into a gown, cover the lower part of your torso with a blanket or sheet and lie down on your back on the examination table, placing your feet in stirrups. The doctor will open your vagina with a speculum and bathe the cervix with a saline solution. Then he or she will look through the colposcopy lens, a type of telescope or microscope that will shine a light on your cervix, allowing the doctor to get a magnified look at your cervical cells.

This part of the procedure does not hurt at all, and if the doctor does not see any concerning cells, he or she may simply obtain a second pap smear to make sure you do not have any abnormal cells. If the doctor sees any cells that concern him or her, the doctor may take a biopsy using a curettage tool or a biopsy scalpel. This part of the procedure will hurt and can cause bleeding. You will be instructed to use sanitary pads instead of tampons after the procedure to avoid any possibility of infection.

The procedure can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, and can range from being completely painless to being quite painful, depending if a biopsy is determined to be necessary and how big of a tissue sample is taken. Ask your doctor for painkillers if your cramping or pain is significant, and watch for signs of infection afterwards.  Call your doctor if you experience fever, chills or extreme pain after your colposcopy exam.