Hi and thanks for posting

Getting back smear results that show an abnormal result can be worrying, although it's very common .

High grade dyskaryosis (or the other name for it is CIN, standing for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) means there's a change in the cells but this does not mean cancer. If left untreated for many years (like 10/15) they have the potential to become cancerous, but by attending regularly for your smears, the point of the screening programme is to prevent this from happening . Smear results range from low, medium and high and they need a colposcopy appointment for a better look at the area and possible laser treatment/biopsy, this is not cancer.

A biopsy , meaning a tiny part  of the cervix is removed, can be taken to make doubly sure that the cells haven't changed to another stage. It will show whether it's still high and if this is still the case, then you go on to have some laser treatment and a repeat smear in 6 months. Having changes in cells do not mean you are more likely to have cancer of the cervix.

Changes in cells are usually down to the HPV virus, which the majority of people (over 80%) who have had sex or skin to skin genital contact will have at one point in their lives. The immune system usually gets rid of it, but it can go to 'sleep' in your body, meaning that later , sometimes many many years later it can occasionally reawaken and show some changes in cervical cells. You may have got HPV the first time you ever had sex, so you will never know when or how you may have got it - it is very common for us all to have it , with smokers finding it harder to get rid of it. There's nothing you can do about it, other than attending regularly for your smear tests.

There's more about HPV here   and more about abnormal cells here  

Do give us a ring if you would like to go over any of this as there's a lot to take in - the number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Try and not worry too much about this , as many people attend colposcopy clinics and do not go on to have any further problems in the future.

All the best

Wanda