Long-term attitude towards follow-up colposcopy in women of reproductive age after excisional treatment for cervical dysplasia

Introduction/Objective Very little is known about the factors influencing women's attitude towards colposcopy follow-up after cervical treatment. The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term attitude to follow-up colposcopy in women of reproductive age after cervical excision and to evaluate if their attitude was related to their anxiety and depression levels. Methods Women treated with cervical excision were interviewed after a follow-up colposcopy visit. Their socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. All women filled in the Beck's anxiety and depression inventory. Results A total of 160 women were divided into the study group of 42 (26.3%) women who felt discomfort during follow-up colposcopy and the control group of 118 (73.7%) women who did not report such feelings. The mean age of the total sample was 35.3 +/- 5.4 years with median time after treatment being five years (range: 2-18). Women in the study group had a significantly lower BMI values, had higher rates of nulliparity and nulligravidity, were more often single or living alone, and had significantly changed their attitude towards condom use after treatment. Beck's anxiety and depression scores were significantly higher in the study group. Multivariate analysis showed that independent predictors of discomfort during follow-up colposcopy were anxiety levels (OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1-1.12), living alone or without a partner (OR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.08-6.55), and the change in their practice of condom use after treatment (OR: 2.69; 95% CI: 1.02-7.07). Conclusion Almost one third of women after excisional treatment reported discomfort during their follow-up colposcopy. These women exhibited higher levels of anxiety.