Smear test, cervical erosion.

[mayson76]

Hi All.

I have been for my smear test this afternoon, which is bad enough, but now I am worrying more than I was before.

When I had my last smear 3 years ago, the doctor told me that I had a cervical erosion, I was hoping that when I got there today the nurse would tell me that it had gone, but when she first started the test, she said that I had blood on my cervix, this was before she had even touched it. I began to get really anxious and she said that I still have the erosion, and asked me if I get spotting or do I bleed after intercourse, I told her that I don't and as I am mid cycle I cannot understand why there was blood on my cervix.

She then said that she would do the smear using the new kind of test (liquid based cytology). This made me abit panicky as I have only ever had the other kind of smear.

She used a small brush type thing to gather the cells, and then she stirred the brush in a little pot that contained a clear liquid, and as she was stirring it , it went a red colour, which she said was because i had bled during the test.

She then passed me a tissue to wipe myself, and there was quite a bit of blood on the tissue, which has now stopped.

I then began to ramble on asking her all different questions, does she think my cervix looked normal?, has she seen an erosion like mine before?, is it common for women to bleed when having a smear? etc etc etc.

She told me to wait and see what the results say, and that will take about 8 weeks.

I am really anxious about all of this.

I had abnormal cells in 1999, and had them treated after my second daughter was born in 2000, then for 5 years after I had to have yearly smears, and they were all ok, but I have never bled while having one, as far as I can remember. I am now back to having them every 3 years.

I am so sorry that this post is so long, but I was wondering if any of you have experienced the bleeding, or an erosion, or had one of these new liquid based smear tests, and what the colour of the liquid was after she put the cells into it.

I appreciate any replies, and thanks for reading.


Sara

[mandie]

Hi Sara

just wanted to say that when i had my last smear i bled after, and it carried on for a few hours after that.

the nurse said that some women do bleed after having them and that t was nothing to worry about.

my results came back normal

love mandie x

[joyce1980]

The cells that cover the surface inside of the womb are different from the cells that cover the cervix (the neck of the womb).

When you go for a smear (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/examinations/paptest.htm), the doctor or nurse collects some of the cells from the neck of the womb onto the stick. When these cells are examined, if they are womb cells instead of cervical cells, this is called an erosion.

It is simply that the margin where the change takes place has shifted slightly and the lining becomes a bit raw as a result.

One easy way to think about it, is to think about your mouth. The surface of you lip is different from the surface of the gum inside your lip. At a certain point the two surfaces meet and change.

Imagine what would happen if this margin moved. You'd have some lining from the gum facing the outside world, exposed to the air. It's likely this would lead to a raw patch. This is the kind of thing that is happening in an erosion.

Why does it happen? We don't really know. But it is more common in women who are taking the Pill (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/womenshealth/sexlife/contraceptivepills.htm) and might relate to hormone levels (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/womenshealth/features/hormone.htm).

Treatment is mostly just leaving it alone. More than likely it will get better by itself. Sometimes the surface needs to be treated with a local anaesthetic and cautery.

[sheba2]

Hi there,

I hope I can put your mind at rest a little. I'm 52 now but when I was in my late teens and early 20's I suffered a lot with cervical erosions. I didn't bleed under normal conditions but as soon as they did a smear test I would bleed lightly for the rest of the day. I eventually had the erosions cauterized which is a very minor procedure and only takes a few minutes. It is a bit crampy after you have this done but nothing dreadful. Since having this done I have continued to have regular smears and still always bleed when they take the cells. I haven't had the new type to my knowledge but the fact that the liquid turned a redish colour is nothing to be alarmed about. You may fiind that they recall you because of the blood as it may be difficult for them to see the cells properly so don't panic about this. Once I had 3 recalls before they could get a good enough reading.

Lastly the fact that you have had such regular smears means that even if they were to find any cells that need checking you will have the benefit of them finding them very early and they will be able to deal with them before they cause you any problems. I really hope that you can relax a little and that the results are good.