Hello Mikajohn and thanks for your post

I am sorry to hear about the ongoing symptoms your daughter has and appreciate they must be a worry for you both.

Symptoms as you know can be the result of many different things and most of the case won't be the result of cancer. As you know too well yourself gynaecological conditions can really interfere with everyday life and can be intolerable at times.

Of course we cannot say for sure what is going on and it is important that your daughter goes back and speaks with her GP. Encourage her to explain the ongoing and debilitating symptoms as well as her private gynaecological appointment and tests. The NHS cervical screening programme doesn't start till 25 in England and partly this is because it isn't unusual to find abnormal cells in young girls into the early 20's, and these abnormal cells don't tend to cause issues.

The GP hopefully will take your daughter seriously and discuss what they could try to help with managing these symptoms alongside a referral to a gynae clinic for assessment.

Within the cervical screening programme they check for high risk strains of the human papilloma virus (hpv), if this is negative the woman returns to 3 year screening. If the test is positive for high risk hpv they then check the sample in cytology to check for abnormal cells. Abnormal cells aren't cancer but when they are caused by high risk hpv over time they may change and develop into cancer (although this usually takes many, many years).

I'm not sure if your daughter was just tested for abnormal cells alone or alongside hpv but this may be helpful to find out from your daughter for the GP's information. If it was high risk hpv as well as abnormal cells then they may be able to refer her to colposcopy for further checks.

In colposcopy they are able to take a closer look at the cervix to view the abnormal areas (which are stained with a solution) they can then take further tissue samples (biopsies) to confirm the type and severity of the abnormal cells that guides whether treatment to remove them is necessary. Low grade and mild cell changes are often left to resolve by themselves and a check up arranged at a later date. Moderate or severe cells changes ( still not cancer but considered pre cancerous so if left over time may change) are often treated to prevent this from happening.

Do go back and see your daughters GP when you can and see what they have to say.

I hope your daughter finds out more soon about what is going on and gets the help she needs to improve things for her.

All the best

Naomi