Hey all so ive been having some symptoms such as bleeding after sex, pain during sex and spotting in between periods for a few months. I have heavy and extremely painful periods (i have already been diagnosed eith PCOS) I went to the GP who made a referral on 9th july for gynecology pathway and colposcopy. I then attended for a smear test on 28th july which the nurse said my cervix is red, smear results were negative for HPV and so did not look for abnormal cells. On 31st july I recieved a letter for a colposcopy appointment on 10th august.
The dr completed the colposcopy and told me verbally that i have a partial cervical ectropion however everything else looked good and healthy.
I recieved the colposcopy report yesterday which again reiterated that I tested negative for HPV and then stated "2 spots of hpv were seen on the cervix" however as noted previously my smear test was negative for hpv so slightly confused. I still havent recieved the biopsy results yet. At the colposcopy these 2 spots were not mentioned to me and the dr performing the colposcopy specifically said to me the cervix looks healthy and cant see any issues other than the partial ectropion so unsure why the report to the dr notes these 2 spots. Has anyone had similar and what did it turn out to be?
Just to add im 29 so this was only my 2nd smear, both have come back negative so I have never tested postive for HPV or abnormal cells
Hi CAH123 and welcome to our group.
I’m sure it must be confusing for you to have hpv negative on your test but two spots found on your cervix. Hpv is a virus that can come and go-be dormant or active, and usually if a smear comes back with a negative result it means you didn’t have an hpv infection at the time the test was done.
Unfortunately, it’s not an absolute guarantee that you don’t carry the hpv virus, and it’s also the case that not all cervical cancers are caused by hpv, although it is a very small proportion of cervical cancers that is not caused by the virus.
You’ve mentioned you are still waiting for your biopsy results, so hopefully that will shed some light on things. Your symptoms may well be explained by the ectropion, as that can cause discomfort during sex and spotting between periods.
I hope you’ll let us know how things go when you get your results.
Sarah xx
Waiting always seems endless, that’s for sure! The time it takes to get biopsy results is dependent usually on how busy the lab is where results are processed, unless the sample is marked as urgent. Mine was, as I had cancer, so my results from my biopsies were back a week later. But you are not in the same situation as your cervix looks healthy.
I don’t recall the phrase “hpv spots” coming up in the group before. Normally if cell changes are seen, the report will refer to this as dyskariosis or CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia).
There are 3 levels of CIN-1,2 and 3 depending on how abnormal the cells are, and not all levels would require any treatment. Level 1 abnormal cells can regress on their own, especially in younger women, so may be left alone and checked again in a year to see if there’s an improvement.
Cell changes are normally slow to happen, hence checking again in a year, but I can understand your concern if there is no treatment if there are abnormal cells there at this point. The cervical screening programme in the UK follows quite a strict protocol, so on the NHS you cannot get smear tests outside the standard programme schedule.
I hope you do not have too much longer to wait, and the results don’t show any concerns, but it’s hard not to worry while you’re waiting.
Sarah xx
