Colposcopy is a procedure that allows for a more detailed examination of the cervix using a special microscope called a colposcope.
During the examination, which is completely painless, the doctor "paints" the cervix and looks for areas responsible for the altered cells identified in the Pap test.
Afterwards, and if there are suspicious areas that need further investigation, samples of cervical tissue are taken, i.e. a biopsy is performed and then the samples are sent to the pathology laboratory where the diagnosis is actually made.
Depending on the diagnosis, the plan for further treatment is formulated, either conservatively (the majority of cases) or invasively.
