CERVICITIS- Types, Pathology, Clinical features, Diagnosis and Treatment| DC Dutta

Cervicitis is an inflammation of the cervix, the lower, narrow end of the uterus that opens into the vagina.

Symptoms

Most often, cervicitis causes no signs and symptoms, and you may only learn you have the condition after a pelvic exam performed by your doctor for another reason.

If you do have signs and symptoms, they may include:

Large amounts of unusual vaginal discharge
Frequent, painful urination
Pain during sex
Bleeding between menstrual periods
Vaginal bleeding after sex, not associated with a menstrual period

Causes
Possible causes of cervicitis include:

Sexually transmitted infections. Most often, the bacterial and viral infections that cause cervicitis are transmitted by sexual contact. Cervicitis can result from common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis and genital herpes.

Bacterial overgrowth. An overgrowth of some of the bacteria that are normally present in the vagina (bacterial vaginosis) can lead to cervicitis.

Complications
Your cervix acts as a barrier to keep bacteria and viruses from entering your uterus. When the cervix is infected, there's an increased risk that the infection will travel into your uterus.

Cervicitis that's caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia can spread to the uterine lining and the fallopian tubes, resulting in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection of the female reproductive organs that can cause fertility problems if left untreated.

Cervicitis can also increase the risk of getting HIV from an infected sexual partner.

Prevention
To reduce your risk of cervicitis from sexually transmitted infections, use condoms consistently and correctly each time you have sex. Condoms are very effective against the spread of STIs, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, which can lead to cervicitis. Being in a long-term relationship in which both you and your uninfected partner are committed to having sex with each other exclusively can lower your odds of an STI.