To be worried about this ...

[surelyitcantgetworsethanthis]

Having a tough time with my fertility so may be overly sensitive. Last year abnormal smear detected HPV, was told to wait 12 months then test again. Tested this year and it's still there so dr has advised to have a colposcopy.
My family (medics) have tried in their own patronising way to reassure me (read as make me feel completely stupid) for worrying about having such a 'common and run of the mill' procedure. DH and I are have decided to pay to have it done privately to speed up the process. AIBU? Or being overly dramatic for no reason? Any experience of this? Will it be as uncomfortable as I'm worrying about?

I had a colposcopy when I was 18 and it was absolutely fine, not painful at all. I have recently had an abnormal smear all these years later (I'm 43) and been told to go back in a year. Please try not to worry and good luck

It's a smear test with a few bells and whistles.
They look at your cervix through the colposcope, like a big pair of binoculars, and daub a couple of liquids on your cervix and then check it under different lights.

If they notice any abnormalities they'll treat it there and then. I had a lletz procedure and they numbed it first (tbh that was the worst bit) and afterwards it just felt like I was being filled up with hot water.

Your family are right - try to be reassured by them!

I really wouldn’t worry about going private to speed things up. The smear has detected HPV which is incredibly common and it doesn’t mean there are any cell changes. They will have a look and if they see anything suspect they will take a biopsy (pro tip: don’t refuse the local anaesthetic, I’m terrified of needles and decided not to have it and the pain afterwards was shocking. I’m told by friends who took the local that the local wasn’t too bad and then they had no pain). In some cases they may treat there and then - with me they didn’t.

I got a letter saying that I had CIN 1 cell changes (first stage of changes). Had to have six monthly smears for a couple of years, then annual, then back to three yearly. I have had completely clear smears ever since (15 years ago).

You may not even have any cell changes. If you do they can treat them but I wouldn’t be worried about getting it done urgently unless you’re suffering from severe anxiety and this would help.

Best of luck. I actually find speculums horrendously painful (I have endometriosis and lots of scar tissue) but can honestly say the colposcopy examination was no worse than a smear - I actually don’t remember the exam part being that painful, whereas I can remember several smear tests being horrendous, so it can’t have been that bad (but like I say, don’t refuse the local!)

I've had two coloscopies, both as a result of successive minor abnormalities in the smear. They were no more painful than a smear - they just poke around with a camera on a stick having a look (via an image on a computer screen) rather than just scratching you as they do with the smear, so it takes a few minutes, but is no more painful. I wouldn't bother paying privately tbh, as it's not something you need urgently - if they do find something wrong (mine didn't either time) then they do the further procedure. But there's every possibly they'll look and decide there's nothing to see, so just put you on a more regular smear testing regime. I was on 6 monthly tests for ages, but am now back to 3 yearly :) Take paracetamol beforehand if you're sensitive to a little pain.