Follow up after treatment for cervical cell changes

The sample of cervical cells is tested for human papillomavirus (HPV):

• If you do not have HPV, you will be invited for cervical screening in 3 years.
• If you have HPV, you will be invited back to colposcopy.

Read about colposcopy >

Your sample of cervical cells is tested for HPV and cell changes:

• If you do not have cell changes or HPV, you are invited back for cervical screening in 3 years. 
• If you have HPV but no cell changes, you will be invited to colposcopy. 
• If you have cell changes, you will be invited to colposcopy.  

Read about colposcopy >

If your colposcopy results are clear, further follow up appointments depend on what stage of CIN you had:

• If you were treated for CIN1, you will be invited for cervical screening once a year for 2 years.
• If you were treated for CIN2 or CIN3, you will be invited for cervical screening once a year for 5 years. 

After this, you can go back to regular cervical screening every 5 years.

Your sample of cervical cells is tested for cell changes. If you have high-grade cell changes, you will be invited to colposcopy.

If your result is normal, or you have borderline or low-grade cell changes, your sample will be tested for HPV:

• If you do not have HPV, you will be invited for cervical screening in 3 years.
• If you have HPV, you will be invited for colposcopy. 

Read about colposcopy >

Your follow up appointments for CGIN are usually at the hospital where you had treatment: 

• The first appointment will be about 6 months after treatment.
• The second appointment will be about 18 months after treatment.

At the follow up appointments, you have a cervical screening test. Your sample of cells is tested for HPV: 

• If both appointments show you do not have HPV, you will be invited back for cervical screening in 3 years. Further appointments depend on the result of that test. 
• If either appointment shows you have HPV, you will be invited to colposcopy again. 

If you have questions about your result or when you should be invited for another appointment, speak with your colposcopist. 

Your follow up appointments for CGIN are usually at the hospital where you had treatment. 

At the follow up appointments, you have a cervical screening test. Your sample of cells is tested for cell changes:

• The first appointment will be about 6 months after treatment. 
• The second appointment will be about 12 months after treatment. At this appointment, you will also go for colposcopy. 
• You will have the next 4 appointments once a year (annually). 

If all of your results show you do not have cell changes, you will be invited back for regular cervical screening every 5 years. 

If you have questions about your result or when you should be invited for another appointment, speak with your colposcopist. 

Your follow up appointments for CGIN are usually at the hospital where you had treatment: 

• The first appointment will be about 6 months after treatment.
• The second appointment will be about 18 months after treatment.

At the follow up appointments, you have a cervical screening test. Your sample of cells is tested for cell changes: 

• If both appointments show you do not have cell changes, you will be invited back for cervical screening in 3 years. Further appointments depend on the result of that test. 
• If either appointment shows you have cell changes, you will be invited to colposcopy again. 

If you have questions about your result or when you should be invited for another appointment, speak with your colposcopist. 

Thank you to all the experts who checked the accuracy of this information, and the volunteers who shared their personal experience to help us develop it. 

References

• NHS England and Public Health England (2020). NHS Cervical Screening Programme – Colposcopy: Initial guidance during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
• Public Health England (2020). Cervical screening: programme and colposcopy management. www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-programme-and-colposcopy-management. Accessed May 2020.
• The British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (2019). For women – Frequently asked questions.
• NHS Inform (2020). Colposcopy. www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/non-surgical-procedures/colposcopy#treating-abnormal-cells-in-the-cervix. Accessed May 2020.
• Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland). What is a Colposcopy? www.cancerscreening.hscni.net/2211.htm. Accessed: May 2020.

We write our information based on literature searches and expert review. For more information about all the references we used, please contact [email protected]

Read more about how we research and write our information >