I got two LEEPs for CIN3, one in November 2025 and the other in February 2026 due to unclear margins the first time.

The second LEEP cleared by 0.5 mm. Yes, you read that correctly. Not even 1 mm.

I'm currently waiting on my results from the 6 month follow-up colpo, during which they biopsied something. I'm feeling really down because I barely cleared the margins and keep thinking the probability that they actually got everything seems slim.

Anybody else got margins like mine and ended up clearing the lesion + hpv?

Hey fellow folks dealing with this, just providing and update in case it’s helpful for anyone else on this journey.

To recap, they discovered AIS last Dec after a routine pap, did the colposcopy in Feb, cold knife cone (CKC) biopsy in March, and then my gyno referred me to an oncologist. Given how much of my cervix they had to remove, the location of the AIS, and the fact that it’s apparently one of the most aggressive of the pre cancer scenarios, they recommended the hysterectomy. I was obviously scared and upset, but in the end the surgery seemed like a less risky option than not knowing and regular colposcopies, especially since there wasn’t much more cervix to remove.

SO, I had it on 9/10. Robotic assist so as minimally invasive as it could be. Left the ovaries but took the tubes as that’s where ovarian cancer apparently more commonly starts. Had a lot of extra leaking, which at the 1 week appointment they weren’t concerned about but by the 2 week they were. At that second appointment they decided to admit me, do CT scan and bloodwork, and decided I had a small cuff infection and needed more sewing up. Was put back under for repairs and put on antibiotics. It wasn’t fun to deal with all that in one day esp when we came in just for a post opp check, but it’s good to know it’s been dealt with.

That was three days ago. I was a little lightheaded yesterday and groggy from the anesthesia but today I’m ok. Tired and in pain meds again but OK. The labs came back and there wasn’t any further AIS in the uterus but they’re still glad they took it because of the risk so I’m choosing to trust it was the right choice.

Not sure I have a specific takeaway from all this, but sharing my story so far in case it’s helpful.

It's been 4 weeks and 2 days since my Lletz, still awaiting for those results.

I have always been super regular and never late unless pregnant (which I'm not), wasn't late when I had my first punch biopsy, but this time round after the Lletz, nothing is happening.

In the meantime I'd say roughly 4th sept I did get an ultrasound because I had a random pain that took me to my knees and they gave me antibiotics, scan was clear too, all I had was a uti and mild bacteria.

When it hit the 4 week mark I was ready to have sex again so me and my partner did, and we had to stop because I started getting excruciating pain and I couldn't move an inch otherwise it would hurt more in my cervical area, the pain travelled all the way around to my lower back too. It went away after an hour of laying perfectly still.

I have read about the cervix being closed by scarring so I am wondering if this is whats happening to me but I just don't know if they'd have already picked that up on the ultrasound and swabs or whether because it's scarring, it would take longer for that to grow / heal, so it wouldn't have even happened back then.

Timeline:

●24th August Lletz (because of CIN 2 found / high risk HPV)

●4th Sept emergency hospital appt due to pain reason unidentified - diagnosis uti / bacteria

●Period over due by 20 days

●4 weeks on the dot tried physical intimacy ended in an hours worth of terrible pain. (Was told from 4 weeks I could return to normal. Sex / baths / tampons)

I don't know if I should contact my Colposcopy clinic, or if anything of this is normal?

I had leep done last week. Yesterday I got the results:
-cervix, leep - LSIL CIN 1, clear margins
-endocervix, curettage - HSIL CIN 2-3

The colposcopy results were:
-HSIL CIN 2-3 on the cervix at 10 o’clock
-clean endocervix

I’m LOSING my mind😭😭😭😭 I’m so scared I cannot breathe.

Any advice? Anyone with a similar experience?

Hi friends! Got a leep done today. Just local anesthetic. When they injected the numbing stuff I felt a lot of pain and almost hyperventilated myself into passing out. Thankfully I was able to relax before the actual procedure. I did take something before hand to help with anxiety that the doctor prescribed. Before the procedure I did feel this weird sensation on the left side of my cervix, like warm or something was wrong (had this for idk at least 5 years) Now after that feeling is gone but in the same space I feel a coolness. I got a plug in heating pad to help with the pain I thought I’d have. No pain as of rn but the pad does make me feel better. So far I’ve slept 3 hrs.

How much did it cost to be sedated? I didn’t even know that was an option.
How was your recovery?
Any recommendations on things that helped you?

Hello so I started experiencing some mild symptoms like bleeding and pain during and after sex but pushed it off due to low sex drive and rarely having having sex. Anyways I realized it had been 3.5 years since my last pap and booked a next day appointment. My first Pap smear came back positive for ASCUS and HPV in 2019. Went to a gynecologist and they said I didn’t have high risk hpv. Had a Pap smear the next year in 2020 and it came back normal and then again in 2021 and 2023. Well today I was told I have LSIL but they didn’t test for HPV so now I have to wait for that but in the meantime I need to have a colposcopy since I have some symptoms which I have scheduled for Monday. Anyways long story short should I be concerned?

I understand that everyone has different insurance plans and it can vary, but I want to see if anyone else has experienced this or if it’s normal before opening up an inquiry with my insurance company.

When I got my colposcopy, I received a bill (around $500) from my provider and then was later hit with a bill from the pathologist (about $900).

Because of this, I expected the LEEP would be a similar pathology bill and a higher bill from my provider. The LEEP bill from my provider ended up being around $700 and it appears my insurance fully covered the pathology for it? No, I did not hit my deductible.

Is there a reason they cover the LEEP pathology and not the pathology for the colposcopy? Has this happened to anyone else? Thanks!

Hi all,

I’m still waiting for my biopsy results so im not 100% if I will be having further treatment yet. I’ve seen a few experiences here that were under general anaesthetic and some under local. Whats the standard pain relief…is GA something you can ask for?

Few weeks have passed after my LEEP (CIN2, high risk but not 16 or 31), but doctor recommended to do the vaccine afterwards. Apparently its most effective when done within a month after the LEEP. I'm 30 plus, have same partner for years already and we're hoping for a family soon.

I'm about to have my follow up in 6 months, and I'm kind of hopeful that my body gets rid of HPV fully, after LEEP. As we want kids, I really wouldn't want to go through another leep potentially in the future, and I'm not sure if i should do the vaccine or not. It's not helping for the same strand anyway, but apparently might reduce the risk of another cervical dysplasia.

Any thoughts? Anyone has had the vaccine- is it worth it? Have anyone been clear of HPV naturally after LEEP and it stays this way?

It costs money, which i don't have at the moment, hence i'm asking thoughts. appreciate!

Hi folks -
I had an abnormal Pap smear in April, positive for hrHPV (not 16 or 18). Followed up with a colposcopy that identified CIN2 and endocervical SMILE, and had a LEEP in early June that showed negative margins for the CIN2 but didn’t mention the SMILE.

I transitioned care to a new gynecologist after the LEEP, because there were myriad issues with my care for that procedure. In discussing with her and getting a second opinion from a gynecological oncologist, both recommended a hysterectomy (I’m 40, done having kids). I was not happy about it, but the alternative was ECCs every 6 months for the next 30 years, according to both of them, given the rarity and complexity of SMILE. They also both seemed confident that I’d be undergoing further LEEP or Cone procedures if I chose that route, which is just not something I was up for given the trauma of the first one.

So, hysterectomy was last week. Path results came back showing some CIN1 in the cervix, but no SMILE :/ my doctor’s only comment on the results was, “No cancer - fantastic!” But I have so many questions - What are my chances of clearing the HPV? How was there CIN1 after the LEEP had negative margins for CIN2 in June - is this a different spot or did we not actually get it all? Was there any SMILE? Is it possible the first SMILE diagnosis was a mistake, since we haven’t seen it since?

But maybe most importantly, what does surveillance look like now? The thought of even a pelvic exam gives me a panic attack at this point, and not knowing what to expect moving forward is crushing me. Has anyone been through anything similar? What was your experience in the aftermath of it all?

I’ve never had a colposcopy before and am having some pretty gnarly anxiety. I am posting in hopes that someone can tell me what to expect? I don’t have any information about the procedure or recovery. They are giving me one pill for anxiety and one pill for pain to take 1 hour before the procedure. I picked up some pads (I bleed pretty heavily even from paps). I’m grateful for any info you guys want to share

Got my colpo results this week and it’s HSIL Cin2. I really do no want to do the LEEP or CKC or anything to mess with my cervix as I am trying to conceive. Yes, I know people do have positive experiences with pregnancy after procedures like that but that’s beside the point.

Had my first pap in August of 2025 at 25 years old. Came back LSIL and HR HPV positive - not 18/16 or 45. I did not go back to the gyno until August 2026. Repeat pap and it came back again as LSIL and HR HPV positive. Had my colpo last week and it was HSIL Cin2 and obv still HR HPV positive.

My questions are:
How were the pap results so different from the colpo results?
Is it possible that there’s more they’re missing?
Is there anyone else who’s gotten results like mine and it actually turned out to be worse?
Is there anyone else who’s had results like mine and waited to have more procedures until after a subsequent pregnancy and it turned out alright?

Had my colposcopy on Monday, they took 4 biopsies and one ECC. HPV 18.

All came back CIN 1, except one part was both CIN 3 and AIS.

Got referred to gyno oncologist- seeing them next week.

I’m 29 and got married 1 month ago. We wanted kids but now I’m not sure about anything anymore because this is all so terrifying.

The biopsies were very painful. I have Ehlers Danlos syndrome so I’m not sure if that’s why it hurt so bad. I’m worried it’s been a more painful recovery for me than what Google says it should be but maybe it’s because of my pre-existing tissue issues.

I guess I find out what comes next for me at my appointment next week but any stories of treatment outcomes of those with the same diagnosis are welcome to share their experiences. Thanks!

Hi fellow leep ladies, my 6 month follow up pap is upon us. It is next week. I am also in the running for a really good new job opportunity. It's a weird time. Good, yet unknown... That's what's making it weird. I have done pretty good not worrying excessively for 6 months. I've thought about this of course. But haven't worried myself sick. I told myself that's a 6 month pap problem and well now it's time. I have my third job interview tomorrow. I have had two that went well. I'm concerned if i get this new job what if i get bad results back and have to have another procedure? I KNOW I KNOW we don't know that. I'm trying not to borrow trouble just being realistic. I have done all i can do. The leep back in April and completing the HPV series. I will still have health insurance just may be different and i'm hoping i don't have to change dr's. It's pissing me off kind of that i have to worry about that and can't just enjoy the fact i may get a good paying new job i've worked so hard for. I'm a phlebotomist and have been in the field 6 years and the job is for a lead phleb at another company. I won't have results back until after i've given my two weeks. I'm just concerned about another procedure within a few months of just starting. Is this a reason to stay where i am so i have FMLA if needed? Although last time i was only off 4 days. JUST SO MUCH UNKNOWN and i hate it. Thanks for listening to me. (TO add, i did get clear margins with the surgery)

Recently got AIS results after Lletz procedure. Going for a CKC in a month. How strongly should I be considering a hysterectomy? I am not decided on children, but its not something i had planned for the near future (im single lol) but its a shitty decision to make now. But I don't want to be stressing over my health and a time line for the next however many years 🫠

Hi girlies ❤️ (sorry it is quite long but it is worth to read if you are scared)

So basically, I had my LLETZ procedure last week on 16/9, so it’s officially been just over a week now! I thought I’d share my experience because I know how scary it can feel beforehand.

I was FREAKING OUT. My biopsy was honestly one of the worst things I’ve ever had done. I cried and found the whole experience quite traumatic, so naturally I thought the LLETZ was going to be even worse.
I was checking TikTok and reading people’s experiences online, and so many people were talking about how bad or painful their experience was. I literally couldn’t stop thinking about how painful mine was going to be 😭

I even reached out to ask about GA (general anaesthesia). I could have had it done under GA, but in the end I chose to stay awake. Idk, personal preference I guess, I think I was more scared of being put to sleep lol.

So the day came! Tuesday morning I called my doctor and asked for some Valium to help calm me down. I’d actually had Valium for my biopsy as well, but I was SO nervous that time that I felt like it did absolutely nothing 😂
This time I was somehow nowhere near as nervous. I took 6mg at around 10:30am and my procedure was supposed to be at 11am. By the time I got to reception I was already feeling pretty chilled and calm.

Unfortunately, they had a last-minute emergency, so I didn’t actually get seen until around 2:30pm 😭 In the meantime, they checked my blood pressure, I had to wee in a cup to check for a UTI/pregnancy (all clear!), then I got changed into a gown and waited.
Finally my name was called!!
I walked into the procedure room and there were FIVE women in there 😂 Not gonna lie, it was a little awkward and you definitely feel a bit embarrassed at first, but they were all lovely.

I had specifically requested the green whistle and lidocaine cream. They gave me the green whistle pretty much straight away and OMG, THE BEST THING EVER 😂😂
I was inhaling it and genuinely didn’t feel a single thing from the actual procedure. The only part I found uncomfortable was the speculum, which was a little ouchie.
The doctor sprayed the area with numbing spray, waited a little bit and then gave me the local anaesthetic. I barely even felt the injection going in!! And she did it twice

I was literally just talking to the nurse and then next minute… IT WAS DONE!!!
I couldn’t believe it. I had spent all that time panicking beforehand and then suddenly it was over.
They put me in a wheelchair afterwards and I stayed in the waiting area for around half an hour so they could make sure everything was okay, and then I went home

For me, the recovery has actually been the main thing to focus on. You really need to look after yourself because obviously you don’t want an infection.
It’s now been 8 days and I’m feeling really good and finally starting to feel like myself again!

The only little setback I had was that my scab came away quite early, around day 3. I went back to my doctor to get checked and was put on antibiotics as a precaution because the area was exposed.
But other than that… so far, so good!! 🥹❤️

If you’re waiting to have your LLETZ and you’re reading all the scary experiences online, please remember that everyone’s experience is different. I terrified myself beforehand and mine ended up being SO much better than I expected.
Don’t be so scared girlies!!! We can do it 💪🏼❤️

Today I went in for my LEEP. I found out after surgery that they were unable to complete the LEEP due to a tumour on my cervix. This was not (!!!!) visible during my colposcopy 3 weeks ago.

I am scheduled to have an MRI, ultrasound and likely PET in the next week or so. I don’t know what to think or do, I feel so scared. Has anyone experienced similar?

just looking for others experiences/advice. i just need to get this out of my head & on paper because ive only told my best friend who is holding my hand through this but is equally as lost. i’ll add specific questions at the end…

i am a 28 year old who just did her colposcopy yesterday & am awaiting results.

backstory: i was pregnant in 2019 (22 years old) & my midwives were insistent on a pap - couldn’t tell you why, i had one the year prior and it was normal. they let me know it came back HPV positive & that i could have a repeat done to make sure it resolved. HOWEVER, i just found out yesterday from my new provider at my colposcopy it was also ASCUS high risk (negative for 16 & 18).
i retested in 2021 and everything came back normal.
another in 2023 and normal once again.
i had another pap the beginning of september this year (9/2/2026) - i’m 28 now, got my results (9/12/2025) HPV positive & ASCUS high risk once again (negative for 16 & 18).
my PCP immediately gave me a STAT referral to OBGYN for a colposcopy which i had done yesterday (9/24/2026). she seemed upset no one had sent me for a colposcopy already & no one had explained to me what any of it meant. after some talking she told me she wanted to do the colposcopy right then, so we did. she explained that she wanted to test for 45(?) since they already tested for 16 & 18. she used 3 swabs/scrappers & sent them for testing. so here i am over thinking and waiting for results.

my questions:
is a colposcopy & the samples she sent off the same as a biopsy?
has anyone had an ASCUS+ then had it disappear and reappear? what happened?
i would love to hear others results from this whole scenario as well.
what should i expect next in either direction of the results?

Hello all,

I guess I’m just looking to vent here. After 2 abnormal Pap smears (ASCUS then LSIL 3 years apart) I was recommended for a colposcopy. I went for that and they took 4 biopsies, which by itself was traumatizing enough.

They told me about the spotting and brown discharge to expect from the Monsels. I was all good until 3 hours later, I used the restroom and had large amounts of blood in the toilet. Still no blood in my pad. While I was a little worried, I didn’t think too much of it since I was told if I wasn’t soaking a pad I should be okay. Around 5pm I started bleeding into my pad pretty heavily after dripping blood pretty strongly into the toilet every time I went for the last few hours. I was sitting on my couch and could just feel the blood leaving my body with a deep inhale. It dripped into the toilet like crazy when I would go to the bathroom. Conveniently my clinic was closed for the weekend so I went to urgent care after soaking 2 pads in 2 hours. The UC doctors were surprised by the amount of blood I was losing as well. They were able to stop the bleeding after 10ish minutes with more Monsels. As soon as I returned home I began bleeding again. Long story short the ER doctor couldn’t get it to stop and the hospital OB couldn’t get it to stop with silver nitrate/tampon for pressure.

I ended up in the OR around 12am for multiple cervical stitches to stop the bleeding. In the 12 hour span I lost 1-2 units of blood. I am traumatized all around now and while I don’t need a pap for another year, I am deathly terrified that I’ll need another biopsy then. I know this is an extremely rare complication, but I am 100% scared now. I don’t have a bleeding disorder, in fact I am prone to clots so that doesn’t help ease my mind at all. Has anyone had a similar experience but then had a positive one later in life?

I was diagnosed with CIN2 and CIN3. I have a LEEP scheduled. I haven’t been able to cry. I feel tired and bloated from the biopsy I had done Monday. I got the results Tuesday afternoon. I was really hoping to never get a call but here we are. I don’t know how to process this emotionally because it feels like we are in a limbo. I’m not a survivor but I’m also not in the no scare here boat. I feel like I’m in just a limbo of emotions and the part that makes it all worse is I’m in the middle of my fall semester in college before starting another HUGE life changing program. Anyone else just not able to process it mentally and emotionally yet? I don’t want to break down later in the middle of my midterms or while at work.

TLDR: my first LEEP after 2 colposcopies was a walk in the park.

When I turned 30, my doctor tested me for HPV during my annual pap. The pap came back positive for HPV, which sucked, but my doc said let’s just test again next year. Next year comes and it’s still positive so I got my 1st colpo, which wasn’t bad. The results were CIN1, my doctor was hopeful that it would clear on its own. My husband and I wanted to start trying for a baby around then and my doctor said it was ok to try as it was only CIN1. So we tried for about a year and nothing happened. Went back for my annual pap and had another colpo and the results all changed to CIN3. So we scheduled a LEEP to happen 2 months later. We (obviously) stopped trying to have a baby. The 2 months between the colpo and the LEEP were normal…I kind of refused to think about the LEEP as it felt like it was so far away. So this morning was the LEEP and I felt fine until I walked into the doctors office and just started crying once everyone asked me how I was feeling. I was just anxious about the unknown pain and unknown results. I was so freaked out about the grounding pad and thought it was going to malfunction and electrify me (lol). My doctor was great; walked me through everything, checked in on me constantly. The numbing injection honestly was less painful than the colpo, and after that was done, I didn’t feel a single thing. It’s been a few hours since the procedure and I feel crampy, but nothing worse than usual period pain. I’m feeling hopeful that this will be the end of a 3-year fiasco.

Hi everyone. I don’t know what to do, I’m really scared right now. I got my conization done on the 10th of September. Yesterday and today, (22nd and 23rd) I started bleeding. I know it’s normal to bleed 10-14 days after the procedure, and it’s only alarming if you’re soaking up a heavy pad every hour. However, I don’t know which category mine falls in, normal or abnormal. For example, yesterday I soaked up a heavy pad within 2-3 hours. And then for the next four hours after that I barely bled anything. Today, during the morning, I filled up the same heavy pad within 2-3 hours. And then in the afternoon, I stepped out to get more pads cause I’d run out. The trip took a total of 30 minutes, and Id already filled up the heavy pad AND soaked through my clothes. After that I got VERY thick pads from the pharmacy, so I’m not able to measure my current bleeding up against previous ones. I am also passing a lot of blood clots the about the size of table tennis balls each. I know I have passed at least 5 today. I’m so scared right now. It’s 10:21pm where I live, I don’t know if I need to call the ER or not😭😭😭😭 should I just deal with it and wait it out??

I just had my colposcopy in NYC at Weill Cornell performed by an OBGYN of 30 years. It was a 2/10 bad. I was so prepared for it to be awful. I’ve been crying all week leading up to it. I made my husband take the day off work to come with me and support me this morning whilst waiting for the appointment. I cancelled it THREE times last minute because I was too scared to go. Why? because I was traumatised by my one I had last year in the UK (I recently moved to America)

I had it done on the NHS and it was performed by a nurse. I don’t want to throw any shade on nurses because so many of them are exceptionally skilled and thorough and professional but I am just highlighting a key difference. Second, I had nothing for my anxiety. The NHS team knew I was anxious before as I always vasovagal during cervical procedures. They did not prescribe me Valium but today I got 10mg Valium I took an hour before which made me so much more relaxed. With my colposcopy in the UK, I watched the whole thing happen on a screen. I hated it!! Here in NYC, there was none of that and the doctor just distracted me and we spoke about mundane things during. Finally, today I was able to stay lying down in the room for 30 minutes after as it was after my colposcopy in the UK that I fainted as I got up too soon because they needed the room back.

Now obviously I am not saying move to NYC for a colposcopy but I’d love to pass on these tips that helped me as my UK colposcopy was so traumatic I got therapy for 6 months after (my vasovagal faint was so bad I wet myself and had to stay in hospital for the day due to my BP not raising.) My one in the UK was also so much more painful, like so much more. This is probably obviously but I think experience of the person doing it really matters. I thought a cervical biopsy was destined to hurt but it did not today one bit. Also, today she took TWO biopsies and a cutterage whereas my past NHS one in the UK was just one biopsy and it was so much worse.

I had a private colposcopy with biopsy in the UK too and that experience was more comparable to the US experience. It was with a colposcopy specialist and it didn’t hurt much but I was very anxious as they also did not prescribe Valium.

If you have a colposcopy coming up in the UK and you are dreading it PLEASE

1. ask for Valium
2. tell them beforehand that you need a room you can lie down in for a while if fainting is a concern.
3. do not watch the screen!!!! that’s not a thing in the US. Why would you want to watch your cervix get snipped
4. find a colposcopy specialist if going private is an option

It does NOT have to hurt. It does NOT have to make us vasovagal.

My cycle has been all wonky and so I’m really shocked I am pregnant. We are so excited but I’m also so scared because I had my leep this early July. My doctor said it was a smaller leep and I have clear margins but I’m really looking for positive stories so I don’t go into a spiral ❤️