What Happens During a Colposcopy and Biopsy?
A colposcopy procedure is simple. It does not require an anesthetic, and can be done in a health care provider’s office. • A woman lies down on an exam table in the same position used to have a Pap test. • A speculum a metal or plastic instrument is inserted into the vagina to separate the walls. You may feel some pressure when the speculum is put in. • The health care provider swabs the walls of the vagina and the cervix with a vinegar-like solution. The solution removes mucus and also turns abnormal cells white making them more visible. You may feel a little burning from the solution. The health care provider may also apply iodine to make the abnormal cervical cells easier to see. • The health care provider looks at the magnified cervix and vagina through the colposcope from outside the vagina the instrument never enters the body. Biopsies are taken from any areas that appear to have abnormal cervical cells. This is done in two ways: • by scraping away cells with a small brush or a s
