Knowledge Centre · Patient guide
Colposcopy, Explained
What a colposcopy actually is, what happens on the day, and what your results mean. One visit, start to finish.
If you have been told you need a colposcopy, the word sounds bigger than the procedure is. Here is what actually happens.
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.
Ready to be seen? Ask us to call you or WhatsApp 071 224 2788. One visit, start to finish.
Sources and guidance
- Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Policy, South African National Department of Health
- WHO guideline for screening and treatment of cervical pre-cancer lesions, World Health Organization
Your next step
If you have been told you need a colposcopy, this is the visit, and the price is the whole price:
Prices are what you pay, not an estimate. We confirm your own fee after a short eligibility and affordability check, and there is no obligation.
Rather just talk it through?
Tell us what you have read and what you are worried about. We call you back. You do not need a referral, and nothing is booked until you say so.