Colposcopy, Explained

If you have been told you need a colposcopy, the word sounds bigger than the procedure is. Here is what actually happens.

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Why you might need one

• You have an abnormal Pap smear or a positive HPV result.
• Your nurse or doctor saw something on your cervix they want checked.
• You bleed after sex, after menopause, or your periods are unusually heavy.
• You have a discharge that will not settle.

What happens on the day

The look. A colposcopy is a careful look at the cervix with a magnifying instrument. It is done in the consulting room — not a theatre — and takes about 20 minutes.

Treatment, same visit. If treatment is needed, it usually happens in the same sitting: thermal ablation where there is no visible lesion, or LLETZ where a lesion is seen. Some findings need a small biopsy first.

Your results. You get your results and a clear follow-up plan, and your own doctor gets them too: a check at six months, then once a year for five years.

If you are pregnant, living with HIV, or treated before

• Pregnant: screening is safe before 20 weeks. Treatment usually waits until six weeks after the birth.
• Living with HIV: screening starts at 25 and repeats every five years, for life.
• Treated before: you need a follow-up check every year.

The cost question

Cash and medical-aid pathways are available, and we handle the authorisation directly with Discovery where it applies. Your cover and your cost are confirmed before anything happens — no surprises.

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Ready to be seen? Ask us to call you or WhatsApp 066 499 2713. One visit, start to finish.

Version 1, updated 2026-07-12. This guide is education, not a diagnosis. If you are worried, talk to us or to your own doctor.