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A. uce the risk of developing cancer, women are offered regular testing to detect changes in the cervix (neck of the womb) at a stage before they become cancerous.
The sample that is taken from the cervix is known as a smear test.
If your smear test is abnormal, you may be referred for an investigation called a colposcopy, which is a more detailed look at the cervix.
It is not unusual to be called for a smear test or to be asked to attend colposcopy during pregnancy.
A. It will depend upon the indication for smear:
A. The following information is a guide to whether you should still attend colposcopy even if you are pregnant.
Often colposcopy can be postponed until after your baby is born, but in some circumstances you should still attend.
You may be in one of the following situations:
You have had an abnormal smear.
Sometimes women become pregnant in between having their smear test and finding out the results. If colposcopy has been recommended, it is important that you still attend your appointment even though you are pregnant. Colposcopy will not harm your baby and can provide valuable and reassuring information.
You are being monitored at colposcopy for a mildly abnormal smear.
A mildly abnormal smear is likely to get better by itself and you may be being monitored just to make sure all is well. If this is the case, you should notify your colposcopy clinic and you will be given an appointment for 3 months after your baby has been born.
Your follow-up at colposcopy can usually wait until after you have had your baby if:
There are two circumstances, however, where you should still attend for review, even if you are pregnant:
A. If you have missed some of your appointments, your doctor may advise you to have your smear done or to attend colposcopy even though you are pregnant. The advice you will receive will depend on your individual circumstances.
A. Sometimes you may need to have a colposcopy repeated. This might be because your first examination was very early in your pregnancy, or if things change, for example if you start bleeding or if you have an offensive-smelling discharge from your vagina.
If you have colposcopy while you are pregnant you will usually need to have a follow-up appointment. This usually takes place about 3 months after your baby is born, so that any further treatment needed can be carried out.
A. You are more likely to bleed if you have a biopsy or treatment when you are pregnant. Because of this, biopsies and treatment of mild abnormalities can usually be delayed until after your baby is born. If the gynaecologist does recommend a biopsy while you are pregnant, they will discuss this with you.
A. This depends on the type of treatment that you have had:
This can be done by heat treatment, laser or freezing. None of these treatments appear to cause any problems in pregnancy.
The risk is higher if you have had more than one excisional biopsy or if a large amount of cervix was removed. The exact reason for this risk is not known, but is likely to be due to the amount of tissue removed.
A. The majority of women who have had treatment to the cervix will have a successful pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby at the normal time.
Because of the small increase in the risk of your baby being born prematurely associated with an excisional biopsy, you may be offered vaginal scans in pregnancy to measure the length of your cervix. This is particularly the case if you have had more than one treatment or if a large amount of your cervix was removed.
If you have had a baby born prematurely or a late miscarriage in the past and your cervix appears shortened on the scan, you may be offered to have a stitch put around it to prevent it opening early.
A. If you need treatment, it is important that you tell the doctor/nurse treating you about your plans. Your doctor will make sure you get the care you need while keeping any risk to any future pregnancies to a minimum. This may mean doing less treatment initially, until your pregnancy is over, and then completing your treatm