What is Colposcopy?

Colposcopy is performed for the examination and cancer screening of the vagina in various conditions. It enables the examination of cervical, vaginal, and vulvar tissues by magnifying them typically between 4 and 12 times using a device called a “colposcope,” and the procedure is called “colposcopy.”

With the help of a colposcope placed on the vulva on the gynecological examination table, cervical cancers, vaginal cancers, vulvar cancers, or precancerous diseases can be easily and painlessly identified. Small pathologies that cannot be clearly seen with the naked eye can be detected with colposcopic examination, and subsequent treatments can be provided. Especially in cases where there are problems with the smear test, biopsies can be taken from the whitish areas formed by applying “acetic acid” to determine whether suspicious lesions are cancerous or pre-cancerous.

Who Needs Colposcopy?

Colposcopy may be performed in cases where suspicious, mild, or moderate abnormalities are detected in Pap smear results, in cases of persistent infection in women with recurrent smear tests, and when the cervix, vagina, or vulva are seen abnormally during gynecological examination.

How is Colposcopy Performed?

Colposcopy involves examining the vagina, vulva, and cervix with a colposcope. Colposcopy is an extremely important procedure. For the procedure, the individual lies on the gynecological examination table, and then the vagina is made visible using a device called a “speculum.” Subsequently, the inside of the vagina is illuminated, and the colposcope is brought close to magnify and examine the genital organs clearly through the device’s viewfinder.