colposcope

Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in women. It is much less common in the United States because of the routine use of pap smears. Almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV (human papilloma virus). A woman's sexual habits and patterns can increase her risk for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer may not cause any symptoms at first, but later, you may have pelvic pain or bleeding from the vagina.  My friend told me that I should do pap smear every year but if my husband is far away from work, I should do it every 3 years. When the doctors do pap smear, they use coloscope. A colposcope is used to identify visible clues suggestive of abnormal tissue. It functions as a lighted binocular microscope to magnify the view of the cervix, vagina, and vulvar surface. This exam allows the health care provider to find problems that cannot be seen by the eye alone.