Diagnosis by colposcopy: Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia I (CIN I) / Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

If a woman who has undergone colposcopy +/- biopsy has been diagnosed Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN), it means that the cells of the cervix are abnormal and have changed in appearance. For example, CIN I denotes mild changes, CIN II and CIN III denote moderate and severe changes respectively. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection of cervical cells can result cells damage which can increase the risk of developing cervical cancer. If your colposcopy report shows CIN I/HPV, this means that you have mild cervical cells changes/you have been infected with HPV. However, the majority of women will recover spontaneously without any treatment within 2 years. In the meantime, you need to have regular and more frequent follow-up cervical smears to monitor your condition. According to the ‘Guidelines on the Management of Abnormal Cervical Cytology’ published by the Hong Kong College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, after colposcopy you will need repeat smear tests every 6 months until you have 3 consecutive normal cervical smears. Afterwards, you can return to routine cervical screening every 3 years.