Hi Tillyloulou and thanks so much for getting in touch.

It does sound like this is a worrying time for you.

Your team will follow cervical screening guidelines about how often you will be called back for testing.  These guidelines say that after your first HPV positive smear test with no abnormal cells seen, you will return for a follow up in 12 months.

At your second smear test, if you are again HPV positive with no abnormal cells they do the same and re-test in another 12 months and after that if the results are the same for the third time  you will have a colposcopy. My understanding is that you would usually be recalled for screening in 3 years time, I am not sure that it would be 5 years in this situation but the guidelines might have changed so to ask your GP to check about this or get in touch with the  colposcopy clinic.

It can seem like a long time, but this is normal and following the guidelines for cervical screening and HPV.

There is some more information here about HPV and Cervical screening which you may find helpful.  This is from a website called Jo’s Trust who are a cervical cancer charity.

Please get back to us if you want to talk anything over. Our number is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open weekdays from 9am till 5pm. 

Rachel