Hello and thanks for your post,

I am sorry to hear that you are worried about your results. Low grade dyskaryosis does not mean that you have cancer.

When you had your smear test they would have tested you for HPV (Human Papillloma Virus) and as this was present then they would have gone on to test the cells in the sample. It is the virus that is responsible for causing changes in the cells. Your test showed that you had low grade dyskaryosis. This means that there were very mild changes.

The  Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is responsible for causing the changes in your cells. HPV is an extremely common virus with the majority of the population being affected at some stage in their life. 

It is your own immunity that helps get on top of the virus but it can take up to two years and sometimes a bit longer. It does help if you are not a smoker as this can make it harder to clear the virus from your body.

At the colposcopy clinic the colposcopist will be able to look at your cervix with a strong magnifying glass. As your results only showed low grade changes then they may just look at the cervix but in some cases they may decide to do a biopsy to confirm the result.

The screening process is all about identifying an abnormality and picking it up at an early stage and then monitoring you until everything returns to normal. If abnormal cells are identified these can be treated to prevent cancer from developing later on. The most important thing is that you carry on attending any screening appointments that you are offered.

I do hope that this has helped answer your questions and I have helped reassure you.

Do give us a ring if you want to talk things through with one of the helpline nurses. Our number is freephone 0808 800 4040 and we are here Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm 

All the best,

Catherine