Following your treatment, you can expect to have a bloodstained discharge for about 3 or 4 weeks. During this period, you should:

• use pads, but not tampons,
• avoid strenuous exercise,
• do not have sex for a month and then only with condoms for another month while the area is healing.

Treatment of abnormal cervical cells is usually very successful and most women will not have any more problems. A small number of women will continue to have abnormal cervical smears and some may need further treatment. It is therefore very important for you to have regular follow-up cervical smears, perhaps with another colposcopy, until your doctor tells you that it is no longer necessary. Generally, these treatments will not affect your sex life or ability to have children.

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© 2009 European Cervical Cancer Association