Does it hurt?
When you have a colposcopy, you will lie on an exam table just like you do when you
have a regular pelvic exam. The health care provider uses an instrument called a speculum
to spread the walls of the vagina apart.
She or he then places the colposcope, which is
like a microscope with a light on the end, at the opening of the vagina. The colposcope
does not enter the vagina.
The health care provider will look inside the vagina to locate
any problem areas on the cervix (opening to the uterus, or womb) or in the vagina. If any
areas are of concern, the health care provider may take a small tissue sample (called a
biopsy).
When this is done, the health care provider first numbs the area but you may feel
a slight pinch or cramp. The tissue is then sent to a lab for further study.
|
