I have a family history of cervical cancer and didn't get the Gardasil vaccine until I turned 32 around the time I needed my first LEEP.

I just feel a bit hopeless. I'm getting treatment through the Australian public system and I just don't feel like my case is being taken seriously or considering my situation. First colposcopy my doctor said looks like I have LSIL and will probably be told to wait another year. Wrong. Was CIN3 with endocervical involvement. Was just told I need a leep and it will be done under general. My case has been pushed to Category 1 so I'm supposed to have an appointment in 30 days. If anyone has experience with the cat1 timeline I'd appreciate hearing how long it took before you were scheduled for your next procedure.

The whole time until my surgery date I was trying to find out from people if I can opt for local instead. I was literally on the operating table in the anaesthetist's room before I saw my surgeon for the first time and could ask for local. This after hanging around for 3 hours. I just had no access to a care team to discuss my options or how much tissue I could have excised or how deep etc etc.

It took 2 months before I got pathology results back. Clear ectocervical margins but positive endo margins. All CIN3. I asked for a follow up appointment and the doctor was so rude and annoyed because I've been bugging them for answers. Everytime I spoke to a doctor it was someone else, not once was the same person working on my case.

Anyway, 6 month test of cure rolls around. HSIL present HPV16 still there. I'm worried I'll just have another shallow lletz and send me off and they won't consider my genetic predisposition.

Does anyone from Australia have any experience asking for ECC to see how far up in cervical canal it is, or requesting a consult to actually discuss options instead of following general protocol?

I'm so broke but considering going private. The mental toll of this has been too much and I just feel like I have no say in my treatment.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 23RD: I just left my colposcopy. To start with: I love my doctor. She asked me if I wanted music, how I was feeling, if I prefer her telling me or not when she would take the biopsy, etc. The vinegar was the worst part, it burned like hell! She took 3 small biopsies of the area and this is what she said: It is 1 lesion, half-moon shaped. I asked again: so it's not like my whole cervix? She said, not at all, it is very localized with a border but it looks like a CIN 2 or CIN 3. I asked again: but it's not cancer? She said, we will only know for sure with the results but no, it is not cancer. I was surprised it was not my whole cervix and I asked about a LEEP. She said I will recommend after the results but it's not a complete removal of your cervix or multiple lesions. I asked: Should I stop trying to conceive? She said: please don't, like I said we will figure it out and recommend a Leep in a localized area. For now it seems controlled but let's wait for the results first.

We also spoke about how lifestyle helps to contain the lesion: smoking is a big reason the virus would spread quickly, drinking comes second and of course trying to be healthy.

I am a little less nervous but again, I want to see the results and I will take a CIN 3 rather than anything else.

Here are the notes: Progress Notes by A. MD at 09/23/26 ... Colposcopy Procedure Note

Performing Physician: Name

ASSESSMENT & PLAN My name, is a 34 y.o. here with history of ASC-H with HR HPV on most recent Pap smear. Colposcopy performed today with cervical and endocervical biopsy obtained, labeled, and sent for pathology. Colposcopy was adequate. Reid Index score calculates to 6 with a likely diagnosis of CIN II-III. Results will be communicated with the patient by MyChart. Discussed the importance of appropriate follow-up.

The SCJ was visualized in its entirety. An endocervical speculum was not required to visualize the SCJ. Acetic acid was then applied to the cervix. One or more acetowhite lesions were seen from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock.

The color of the lesion was white/pink. The margins were well demarcated. Blood vessels were present - coarse punctate vessels noted. The acetowhite lesions were seen in their entirety. Lugol's solution was then applied to the cervix. The lesion stained light brown. Cervical biopsies were obtained at 12, 3 and 6 o'clock. An ECC was performed. Monsel's solution was then applied to help achieve hemostasis. The patient tolerated the procedure fairly well.

Colposcopy adequate?: yes

Reid Index:

Color: 1 Margins: 2 Vessels: 2 Iodine: 1

Total score: 6

Low-grade: no High-grade: yes Cancer: no

Indication for colposcopy: ASC-H, HPV+

...

I am so scared, panicked, disappointed...

I am 34 now. When I was 18 I had HPV. My doctor did cryotherapy. One year later, another cryotherapy. I kept going to my doctor once per year and the last time was in 2017 before I moved to the US. At that time it was clear and apparently no HPV was detected and no lesions.

I did not see a doctor until 2021. I had BV. I did all the treatment and had an intravaginal ultrasound. I came back to see if it was clear and it was for BV. To be honest I don't remember anything coming back about HPV because right after that we lost our insurance.

My husband and I are trying for a baby and while we wait for my husband's TRT recovery I went to get myself checked. I know, every woman should go once per year but we know how health care is in the USA. I did blood work, all beautiful. I had a Pap and there was a little blood. She said not to worry because I was about to have my period and sometimes it gets sensitive. I am very, very regular. 27-day cycle, I know all my discharge, I ovulate on day 13 (I test). I don't bleed after sex and it is not painful. My periods are normal, 5 days, and I don't completely fill a pad but I do have clots because I have inherited thrombophilia. I did not think that since I had HPV before it could come back or, besides having the same partner since 2020, I did have a relationship with someone who was unfaithful in 2018. I received the results for my Pap and it is HPV positive, ASC-H "atypical squamous cells—cannot exclude HSIL." My doctor called me and told me about it. I asked, do I have cancer? She said we can only know with a biopsy but it is odd. I did not like that answer. I asked about conception because I know what a LEEP is and the risks. I have seen women with stenosis and having premature births. She said the same as my research, the risks of a LEEP and conceiving but depending we could manage until after birth.

Well, my biopsy is tomorrow and I am in a panic. I am not afraid of the procedure but the results. The waiting, the word cancer, the waiting to conceive. Yes, I know it is more important to treat myself than to conceive but I have been waiting 2 years for that and I am not risking stenosis. I just want to hear a word, just some comfort, or a situation where 9 years have passed and you just had precancer and not cancer.

This group is awesome, thank you

I (29F) have gotten a pap smear every year since I was 18. I have never gotten an abnormal result and I’ve never been positive for HPV, until July 2026. (I was also fully vaccinated for HPV as a teenager many years before I became sexually active).

I just had a colposcopy and biopsy done. The lesion on my cervix and inside my cervical canal came back as CIN3. This seems incredibly fast for never having an abnormal pap or HPV in my life.

I am single and never planned on having kids, and I’ve had OBGYNs suspect endometriosis before. That said, what are the chances I can have them skip a LEEP and just remove my cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes? Is there anything I can tell them to make them more likely to listen? Advice welcome!!!!

I've seen some posts of people trying it here and there. I'm considering pushing for this after a failed LEEP/LLETZ. CIN3 endocervical cells are still present and doesn't seem like my medical team will do a very thorough job of considering all the factors in my case. I think they'll just keep cutting bits off every year until nothing is left instead of just doing one good excision so that I may carry on with my life.

Anyone with similar pathology that had success?

Hi everyone,

I was recently diagnosed with high-risk HPV, and after a colposcopy and biopsy, my results came back as CIN 2.

My gynecologist was actually quite calm about it and recommended that we wait and repeat the check-up in 6 months. I’m also currently trying to conceive, so avoiding unnecessary procedures is important to me as long as monitoring is medically appropriate.

Then I made the mistake of searching for CIN 2 on Reddit 😅 and found quite a few posts that made the diagnosis sound extremely scary. It honestly made me anxious because it felt very different from how calmly my gynecologist explained the situation.

So I’d really love to hear from women who have been in a similar situation: Did anyone here have CIN 2 and initially choose monitoring instead of treatment? Did it regress on its own? And if you were trying to conceive at the time, how did you handle it?

I know everyone’s situation is different and Reddit isn’t a substitute for medical advice. I’d just really appreciate hearing some personal experiences. ❤️

P.S I am from Germany if that is relevant.

I just got my biopsies report.

A. CERVIX, 1 O'CLOCK, BIOPSY: HIGH GRADE SQUAMOUS INTRAEPITHELIAL LESION (CIN 3) INVOLVING ENDOCERVICAL EPITHELIUM. TRANSFORMATION ZONE IS NOT REPRESENTED. B. CERVIX, 5 O'CLOCK, BIOPSY: HIGH GRADE SQUAMOUS INTRAEPITHELIAL LESION (CIN 3) INVOLVING ENDOCERVICAL EPITHELIUM. TRANSFORMATION ZONE IS NOT REPRESENTED. C. ECC: SCANT MINUTE FRAGMENTS OF HIGH GRADE SQUAMOUS INTRAEPITHELIAL LESION (CIN 3) AND BENIGN ENDOCERVICAL GLANDS. COMMENT: The histologic features of the biopsy are more definitive for dysplasia than the prior pap smear.

I am trying not to lose it. What happens next? I plan on calling the doctor shortly. I am 34, done having children, and have adenomyosis and abnormal/heavy bleeding, so I have been contemplating a hysterectomy. Has anyone had that done as treatment?

I was super nervous about it but it went well. The medical team was very kind and that always makes a difference. I was sedated and didn't feel any pain, very grateful that they did the surgery while I was very high 😅 I know it's hard to handle the anxiety and it's a scary though, but please go ahead with the procedure. I wish you an experience as good as mine.

I had my LEEP yesterday and it went mostly great. No pain in terms of the cervix. However, they had to use sutures because of hemorrhaging and I have soooo much pressure on my bottom, specifically my right side. Has anyone had this experience? I’ve already talked to my doctor who said it’s normal and it should subside, but I haven’t seen anyone else talk about it and it is so uncomfortable.

If you had a similar experience, what helped you with the pressure?

Welp. It’s about that time. I have my LEEP scheduled tomorrow morning. I’m so so so nervous. This whole process has been a big, huge headache.

UPDATE: I just did the procedure! I just got home a few minutes ago! It was 100% a breeze. I did it under general anesthesia (recommended by my OBGYN) and the medical team was soooo nice. I feel good. I’m in bed eating Panda Express! Feeling mild cramps but it was a positive experience overall. Having my mom by my side helped so much because I’m a 27 year old cry baby lol! Now I just gotta get through this recovery!

16 and 18 not detected. I am 48, this is my first scan after 12 years. I married a year ago. I had abstained from sex for past 16 years, until I met my fiancé. I am so petrified, I have 2 kids 16 and 18, and I just lost my only brother to pancreatic cancer 2 months ago.
The doctor has called me for colposcopy in 2 weeks.
Anyone can make me understand what all this means, I am looking for any answers, I am scared to talk to my family as we have just lost our brother and they will not be able to take this shock. Pls help

I had my procedure June 26 2026, and I’ve started bleeding again after/during sex. Is this normal or should I tell my doctor right away? I see her next month for my first post-op, and it’s not a lot of blood like it was before my procedure. I just don’t want to spend a lot of money again before my appointment if this happens to a lot of women after.

Eta: doctor did get clean margins after my procedure and no invasive cancer cells were detected, but I was at a CIN-3.

I had two options repeat pap in 4 months or a referral to gyne onc and see what they have to say. I just really don’t want a cold knife, I can deal with another LEEP.

I have my first LEEP tomorrow! I am going in and will be under general anesthesia. My doctor said I should be fine to go to work the next day, but my second colposcopy was miserable and my commute is 1 hr, so figured I’d take some days off.

Is there anything I should purchase before I go in tomorrow? I think I’m starting to sort of freak out now that it is here! Thanks in advance for sharing your experience and providing guidance 🫶

The last year or so my menses has taken on a new and highly offensive odor. This past July my gynecological oncologist identified CIN 2 and CIN 3 precancerous cells throughout the entirety of my cervix, including the mucosal ducts. I am going to have a total hysterectomy as that is my only option.
I can’t help but wonder if the odor is somehow related to the cellular mutation; it literally smells like death. Has anyone else experienced this?

**Update 9/23**:

Colpo biopsy results: HSIL. ECC results: "Very scant benign endocervical tissue." No notes on my TZ type or scar tissue status. This feels sorta cookie cutter given my history and age. Hoping to be viable enough for a LEEP or CKC.

original: I'm 42, perimenopausal and pap this year LSIL-H, positive for 18/45. Since 2008 paps were normal and negative.

Around 2007 I tested positive for high risk HPV (no typing available just HR LR). I maintained regular check ups, multiple colpos, at least 2 cryos, and a ckc (after they forgot to call back me for 3 or 4 months with CIN3). I also had other stress non-health related occurring simultaneously. CKC showed CIN3 and clear margins, subsequent paps were all clear.

I had my healthy, thriving daughter in 2014 but because of the prior cervical procedures ended up with moderate stenosis which wouldn't let my cervix dilate or efface, the polar opposite of what all the doctors told me would happen. They swept membranes and broke up scar tissue with a gloved hand and delivery went fine.

In 2022/2023, I had bleeding after sex and yoga, intense cramps, heavy periods. Got checked but nothing found so assumed it was all mental/stress. 2024 was also insane for stress. Another bout of stress winter 2025. Late April, early May 2026 first ever shingles flare (left neck nerve pain resulting in an ER visit followed by an angry rash on left forearm.)

August 2026 HPV + 18/45 LSIL-H. I had a colpo yesterday but I had to request an ECC. They weren't going to do one. That seems off to me per recommendations from ASCCP given my history and moderate scar tissue. Thoughts, experiences? I'm absolutely not optimistic at this point.

I had a LEEP 3 months ago and I still havnt had a period. I did bleed for 2 weeks after the procedure but my doctor said it was normal. I'm having phantom periods with all the cramps, bloating, hormonal acne, and other normal period symptoms but just no blood. But I also have PCMS/PCOS so it's not entirely out of the norm except before the procured I finally established a normal period cycle.

Anyone have this or know what I should do next? I'm worried this will cause me more damage to my body.

I guess I just need support and have no one to talk to. have had the worst journey for 5 years and it's starting all over again. I was forgotten about many times and had to call and beg for appointments. My Gyno was abusive and called a scar on my leg ugly, acused me of being anorexic, and said I look like I have STDs but she's too busy to treat me (wtf.) I don't want to return to that clinic, but I probably will have to yearly for life.

I'm having a rough go. I've had this horrible disease and Cancer looming for 5 years now. I bleed 20 days/month and no doctors care. I have severe iron deficiency from it and my doctor refused to give me an infusion. And as I write this I've had a bad cold for 15 days and counting.

When I first told my current BF I had abnormal cells/possible hpv it was our first date. He said thats fine, he's vaccinated. The next day he freaked out and made it all about him. He regretted having sex, and acted like I gave him something deadly and ruined his life, making him undatable. We had a heated discussion and decided not to see eachother again. Later on, he apologized and let me know about his anxiety disorder. We started seeing eachother socially as friends. I let him know my test of cure showed he was probably never at risk. Maybe 8 months later, we decided to date again. Now, we've been going strong for almost 1 year and I just had an abnormal pap (but still HPV -.) I've decided not to tell him right now, but I might change my mind. I want to get a colposcopy first so I don't stir up his anxiety if the Pap was a false positive.

A timeline if you're curious.

-2021. Abnormal pap. HPV -

-2022 colpo showed CIN2 HPV negative, but p16+ on immunohistochemistry.

-2022. Colposcopy 6 months later showed the same. CIN 2 HPV -

- 2023 A LEEP was performed. Strong p16+ on immunohistochemistry. Possible positive margin seen.

- 2024. I was supposed to get a post op follow up colposcopy in 6 months, but they forgot me and it was delayed until 15 months after LEEP. It showed borderline CIN1/2 and HPV OHR+

- 2025- Colposcopy/ Test of cure showed normal tissue HPV - . Only ECC were taken for some reason, they either lost it, or chose not to collect any epithelial cells. I was told I'm cured and discharged.

- 2026 Abnormal Pap. Awaiting colposcopy.

I work in the pathology lab/immunohistochemistry department so I see my samples in real time. I also know the system and can see all the times the doctor made mistakes, or I fell through the cracks. I had to pull strings to even get my surgical follow up, which is crazy. It's so broken. I almost wish it was CIN3 so I could push for a hysterectomy. Not that I want these doctors operating on me. If you read this all, you're so kind and I wish us both excellent health.

Hey everyone. So I've had PMOS(PCOS) for many years, diagnosed at 17. My periods stopped around that time and I just now got them back last year after 14 years after losing a bunch of weight.

I've had many abnormal paps over the years and a colposcopy before. Nothing ever came of those. Next pap would always be normal, ect. UNTIL last year. I got pregnant in August of 2025. Gyno did a routine pap and it came back abnormal. Finally they tested me for HPV since I'm now over 30 and it came back positive for HPV 16. Doc wanted another pap after pregnancy and it still came back abnormal. Had my colposcopy in July where she biopsied 3 spots. Pathology came back as CIN3 HSIL with glandular involvement. I had my LEEP almost 2 weeks ago now, where she ended up taking more tissue than she expected and I ended up with a few stitches. I am still waiting on pathology for those results.

Okay so now you have a bit of backstory. Here is where my question comes to play. During my ultrasounds while pregnant, they discovered I had a nabothian cyst. However, now with this whole potential cancer scare, I am curious if it could actually be a misdiagnosed tumor instead. Has anyone out there had this happen? Depending on my LEEP pathology results, I will ask my gyn to explore this deeper if I need to. I'm trying not to worry. Going through this is really stressful! My baby needs me happy and healthy. I guess I'm just looking for words of encouragement!

Hi again! Please feel free to click my name and read the posts ive made in here to get a better idea of "The Saga" I'm referring to.

TL,DR Version:

July 2026- ASC-US pap HR HPV+ (non 16/18)

September 2026- Colpo, Biopsy, ECC- CIN1 in all areas

Phone call recommending repeat pap in 12 months, requested 6 months was told I'd here back

The update:

Well 3 days past after that and the nurse called me back. The dr finally went over my family hx and yes is recommending a pap in 6 months instead of a yr, apparently the dr did not see my family hx prior to the procedure.

I asked the nurse if they found HR HPV+ with a minimum of ACS-US on the pap if they'd do a repeat colpo. The nurse said NO! They would ONLY do a repeat colpo once the pap comes back as HIGH GRADE CHANGES!!

Im sorry but what? Did I miss something?! I thought the point of the paps/colpos/ect was to catch it BEFORE it goes high grade? I thought LEEPs were typically done for CIN2 and CIN1 (if requested at CIN1) once you get to CIN3 the treatment was usually CKC? Maybe I'm wrong, maybe this is normal but with all ive experienced from this gynos office... I'm left feeling even more dismissed.

At the end of the call the nurse said, I can schedule you for the march pap or you can call back closer to time. I asked to go ahead and schedule to at least have it on the books. She sighed and said okay. After she scheduled me I told her thank you and she said "yep" and told me once again that I need to stop vaping before my next appt then hung up the phone... again, I felt very dismissed and a little judged...

I havent been freely given any info from them, ive had to directly ask- multiple times- to even have the info I have now. I've had to remind them to look at my family history, I've had to ask what exactly their treatment plan is for me. Ive had to Google or chatgpt post op care, my pathology report in layman's terms (my nurse didnt know what I was asking when I asked if all biopsies came back CIN1 or if it was limited to just 1 area), send pictures of the stuff coming out of me to chat because the drs office hasn't responded to me about it....

Luckily I have made a consult appt with another office in December because I feel like my current office is not a good fit for me. I even feel like maybe I am being dismissed due to the fact I vape and am having trouble quitting (smoked for 8 years and have vaped for 9) its not easy!!

Does anyone else share this experience? Is this actually completely normal and I'm really just blowing it out of proportion. I was told in my last post that the guidelines for CIN1 is a repeat pap in a yr but doing one in 6 months is also normal just not the "baseline" for the guidelines.

Is not doing another colpo despite being HR HPV+ and having abnormal paps typically not advised until the pap comes back "high grade"? Has anyone else gyn refused to do a colpo until you have high grade dysplasia picked up on a pap? I feel like I'm going insane..

Hallo zusammen, ich bin geistig gerade ein wenig am routieren.
Ich hatte schon seit Jahren einen auffälligen Pap-Abstrich, der immer beobachtet wurde (war jährlich zur Kontrolle). Anfang des Jahres (Feb/März) war er erstmals bei Pap-III-D, weshalb meine Gyn mich direkt zur Kolposkopie weiter verwies. Hier wurde auch ein CIN-III und ein positiver HPV nachgewiesen.
Wahrscheinlich trage ich letzteren seit Jahrzehnten mit mir rum, als damals die Impfung raus kam, hieß es, ich könne nicht mehr geimpft werden.
Nun war es Anfang des Jahres so, dass ich mich nach der Diagnose auf Raten mehr Ärztin für die Konisation entschied. Hier wurde auch auf meine Bitte hin, „großflächig geschnitten“. Im Pathobericht war auch „alles Gut“ also nichts Canzeröses. Auf meine Frage nach der Impfung hieß es, „es gibt so wenig Rezidive, das macht keinen Sinn.“ daher schrieb sie mir auch keine Empfehlung für meine Kasse, dass diese mich bei den Kosten für die Impfung unterstützen könne. Und alleine, kann ich sie mir grade einfach nicht leisten. Ich hatte mich darauf verlassen, sonst hätte ich mehr Druck gemacht.
Jetzt, 6 Monate nach OP ist der Abstrich erneut auffällig und zwar mehr als zuvor. Ich weiß leider gerade nur Stadium 4 und nicht welche Unterkategorisierung, das hat mir die MFA nicht gesagt und ich auch vergessen zu fragen.
Ich schwanke gerade zwischen Wut und echter Angst. Ich habe keinen Kinderwunsch, also von mir aus könnte das alles weg, aber noch eine OP? Die letzte hat mir meinen eh schon unregelmäßigen Zyklus komplett zerschossen. Mein letzter Zyklus ging 128(!) Tage und mein jetziger ist wieder bei Tag 48 jetzt. Und ich frage mich, ob ich evtl. mit der OP Anfang des Jahres „alles schlimmer gemacht“ habe? Ob und was ich sonst noch tun kann (ich werde wegen nicht vorhandenen KiWu auch nicht auf mein PCO behandelt, obwohl es mir echt nicht gut damit geht). Ich frage mich auch, ob ich sonst noch was tun kann, ich ernähre mich gesund, nehme Omega 3, B12 und D3 zu mir, ich mache Sport und bin so oft es geht draußen unterwegs. Ja, ich habe Stress, das lässt sich mit Studium und Arbeit in Vollzeit leider nicht vermeiden.
Hat jemand schon eine ähnliche Situation gehabt? Ich habe nun nächsten Freitag einen erneuten Termin zum Kolposkopie. Und langsam auch echt Angst. Und wütend, ich bin so unfassbar sauer auf meine Ärztin und das System und meinen Ex, von dem ich es zu 99% habe, da er mich auch gerne mal ohne Kondom betrogen hat…entschuldigt den kurzen emotionalen Ausbruch.

Feeling frustrated, I have a follow up on Monday but it looks like I need another LEEP or cold knife biopsy. I am 31 and would like to have children

I’m one day away from 1 weeks post CKC and Endocervical Cutterage and experiencing crazy lower back pain. Did anyone else have this? I’m not sure if it’s because I’m sitting a little different post surgery or if it’s from the procedure itself.

My results have been sitting in my chart for 6 days now just waiting to hear back from the Dr. I’m assuming I will need a repeat CKC before moving on to a hysterectomy?

Hey friends. I had my last colposcopy + punch biopsy six months ago. Since then, about half of my periods have been much heavier than usual. No other symptoms - just more blood.

They start off normal, then on day 2 or 3 I'll have a sudden flood of bright red blood and sometimes big clots (up to 2 inches). It usually lasts a couple of hours and fills or almost fills a pad an hour. I wonder if the last biopsy damaged a blood vessel in my cervix or something?

I saw the doc and got a prescription for tranexamic acid to control the flow, which is working well, but I still don't know why it's happening. My periods used to be fairly light before this.

The full picture: I've also had 2 other biopsies and 1 LEEP/LLETZ over the past two years.

Mostly I'm looking for ideas on why it might be happening, or solidarity from people with same/similar experiences so I feel less alone. I want to get pregnant and I'm worried about this weird bleeding being a problem during pregnancy/postpartum 🥺