Although it sounds scary, a colposcopy is a common and simple way to check whether there are abnormal cells in the cervix and whether they need to be removed. Normally, a colposcopy is carried out in a hospital outpatient clinic and takes around 20 minutes, after which you can go home.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/news-and-features/what-to-expect-when-you-have-a-colposcopy