A colposcopy is a detailed examination of the cervix (entrance to the uterus) with a specially lit microscope (colposcope). As with a smear, an instrument called a speculum is inserted into the vagina, and then the colposcope is positioned outside the vagina with its light directed on the cervix.

 

A specialist will perform a colposcopy if your HPV test is abnormal or a smear has shown abnormal or cancerous cells on the cervix or if you report abnormal bleeding such as bleeding after sex or bleeding between periods. During the colposcopy small samples of tissue (biopsies) may be removed and examined in the laboratory so the doctor can get a clearer idea of the extent of the abnormal cells.