colposcopy ok but now spotting after sex - Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Message Board

eeyore0274 · 04-20-2009, 08:18 PM

After an abnormal pap & positive HPV test, I had a colposcopy 2 weeks ago. The doctor said he didn't see anything abnormal on the colposcopy and to just redo my pap in 6 months; but now, for some reason, I am spotting after sex.
When the doctor did the colposcopy, he only did the vinegar on my cervix & I have read that there should have been 1 or 2 more solutions used.
Is it possible that he could have not finished the test simply because the vinegar didnt show something? Or is it possible that he missed something?
I thought it odd at the time that he only did the vinegar part and sent me on my way, and now that I've started this spotting thing I'm more concerned than ever that something was missed...

Pickle Eyes · 04-20-2009, 08:22 PM

Hi Eeyore, did you have any grey or black discharge after the biopsy? Did you feel a pinch during the colpo? If so, then the doctor also took a biopsy during the colpo.

Have you gotten your pathology reports back yet? If not, I suggest you call the doctor's office tomorrow and ask for the results.

It is possible the bleeding (especially if very light) was from post-procedure healing. If it is a lot of blood (more than a pad per hour) or you have a fever, please go to the ER.

Do you have a follow up appointment scheduled?

eeyore0274 · 04-20-2009, 08:37 PM

he didn't do any biopsies.
nor did he do the portion of the test that uses Lugol's solution (which i understand to be what causes the brown discharge aside from bleeding). i had absolutely no bleeding or discharge after the test, but now 2 weeks later sex is causing bleeding.
i originally had the pap because of irregular periods. the test came back abnormal and positive for high risk hpv. that's why i went for the colpo.
because i wasn't given any information before i went for the colpo i checked online to see what the procedure entails. so, naturally i was surprised when the doctor told me he was doing the vinegar portion of the test and told me he saw nothing and i could leave just a minute or two later.
it seems from my research that the irregular periods added to the abnormal pap & hpv, and now added to the spotting after sex indicate that there is something wrong, and i don't know if the doctor was right in stopping the colpo where he did or if he was a jerk who wanted to move on to the next patient simply because i'm at the lower end of the age range for it to be highER risk. (i'm 35.)
i honestly don't know what to do at this point.

jill60 · 04-20-2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eeyore0274

he didn't do any biopsies.
nor did he do the portion of the test that uses Lugol's solution (which i understand to be what causes the brown discharge aside from bleeding). i had absolutely no bleeding or discharge after the test, but now 2 weeks later sex is causing bleeding.
i originally had the pap because of irregular periods. the test came back abnormal and positive for high risk hpv. that's why i went for the colpo.
because i wasn't given any information before i went for the colpo i checked online to see what the procedure entails. so, naturally i was surprised when the doctor told me he was doing the vinegar portion of the test and told me he saw nothing and i could leave just a minute or two later.
it seems from my research that the irregular periods added to the abnormal pap & hpv, and now added to the spotting after sex indicate that there is something wrong, and i don't know if the doctor was right in stopping the colpo where he did or if he was a jerk who wanted to move on to the next patient simply because i'm at the lower end of the age range for it to be highER risk. (i'm 35.)
i honestly don't know what to do at this point.

When my pap came back bad I first had to go for a biopsy, I was 35 also. I then had to go have my cervix lasered.
I had this terrible discharge & also I was told not to have sex for 6 weeks.
I think you have to go every 3 months for a pap. I didn't make it through the 2nd pap & had to go back again, have the biopsy, laser surgery & then no sex for 6 weeks again!
Before any of this ever started I would spot after sex & I had never done that before.

Jill

Drafly · 04-21-2009, 10:21 AM

Eeyore. The use of vinegar is the usual method when doing a colpo. No other liquids are "necessary". Here's the deal. Abnormal cells contain more protein and less glycogen (sugar) than normal cells. The vinegar causes the protein in the cells to coagulate causing acetowhitening which makes the lesions visible to the doc during the colpo. If nothing was visualized then there wouldn't be anything to take a biopsy of.

Since HPV can affect any part of the genital tract including back to and including the anus you could have HPV lesions in the vagina which is what is causing the bleeding with intercourse. The vagina has so many folds and creases it is difficult sometimes to visualize everything. Also he may have only applied the vinegar was to the area surrounding the cervix and not the entire vagina (you'd have to ask).

You can have negative Paps and still have cancer elsewhere, like the vagina, vulva and anus so you need to be vigilent and get things checked out if you have any symptoms, like the vaginal bleeding after sex. He may need to repeat the colpo with attention to the vagina.