My doctor's office called yesterday to say my PAP came back with LSIL (low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion). The nurse was calm about it and said this is common and often resolves on its own, but I've been anxious since the call. I'm 28 and this is the first time I've had anything other than a normal result in about 6 years of regular testing.
They've scheduled me for a colposcopy in 3 weeks. I keep seeing stats that 60-80% of LSIL cases resolve within 2 years without treatment, which is somewhat reassuring. But I'm also reading about the HPV connection and the small percentage that progress, and it's hard to hold onto the reassuring numbers when you're already anxious.
Has anyone been through the colposcopy process? My doctor's office wasn't very detailed about what to expect. I know I should wait and talk to my gynecologist but the 3-week wait feels long. Would love to hear from people who've gone through this.
The 3-week timeline actually signals they're not treating it as urgent. You caught this through exactly the process that's supposed to catch it — try to hold onto that while you wait.
I had LSIL at 26 and my colposcopy showed CIN 1, which they just monitored. It cleared up on its own within 18 months and my next PAP was completely normal. Wait-and-watch is very standard for this finding.
LSIL really is common. My OB told me she sees this in maybe 30-40% of patients in their 20s at some point. Most don't need treatment and regular monitoring is what keeps it from becoming anything serious.
The colposcopy itself takes about 15-20 minutes. There's some mild discomfort but most people describe it as a stronger version of a routine PAP. Ask them to talk you through each step — it helps a lot.