A medical instrument with magnifying lenses used to examine the vagina and cervix closely for abnormalities, growths, or signs of disease.
From Greek 'kolpos' (vagina) + 'skopeein' (to look/examine). This instrument was developed in the early-to-mid 20th century as gynecologic diagnostic technology improved.
The colposcope was a game-changer for cervical cancer screening—it let doctors see precancerous changes before they became dangerous, and it's credited with dramatically reducing cervical cancer deaths in developed countries.
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