What is a colposcopy?

A colposcopy is an examination of the skin and mucous membranes of the lower genital tract (cervix, vagina and vulva) through a colposcope. As seen on the image of the previous page, the woman lies on the examination chair, exactly like she does during a pelvic examination. Through a colposcope, your doctor directly examines your cervix, vagina, and vulva under magnification.

The perianal area and the anal canal are also examined with the help of a colposcope. This examination is called a high-resolution anoscopy, which is different than a simple anoscopy.