Cervicitis is the inflammation of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that attaches to the vagina and therefore the most common symptoms are usually vaginal discharge, painful urination and bleeding out of the menstrual period.
If you think you may have cervicitis, select what you are feeling to know what are the chances of actually being cervicitis:
- 1. Yellow or grayish vaginal discharge Yes No
- 2. Frequent bleeding outside the menstrual period Yes No
- 3. Bleeding after intimate contact Yes No
- 4. Pain during intimate contact Yes No
- 5. Pain or burning while urinating Yes No
- 6. Frequent urge to urinate Yes No
- 7. Redness in the genital area Yes No
In some cases, the woman may not even have symptoms of cervicitis but be constantly with this inflammation, being known as chronic cervicitis. In these situations, cervicitis is usually identified by the pap smear and may be caused by a sexually transmitted disease. Learn more about chronic cervicitis and how it is treated.
Cervicitis can be transmitted to man, especially in cases of unprotected sexual intercourse, causing urethritis, which is inflammation of the urethra which is often accompanied by symptoms such as false urge to urinate, burning or bleeding while urinating and redness in the male sexual organ .
Main causes of cervicitis
There are several causes that can lead to the development of a cervicitis; however, the most common ones include:
- Sexually transmitted diseases such as Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, or Trichomoniasis;
- Allergy to intimate hygiene products, vaginal or latex showers;
- Use of internal absorbent as it may cause irritation of the cervix;
- Infection by bacteria, usually during or after a case of vaginosis;
- Hormonal imbalance, especially when the woman has low levels of estrogens and high amount of progesterone.
In addition, and although it is rarer, cervicitis can also be one of the early signs of cervical cancer and so it is very important to go to the gynecologist to do at least 1 pap smear per year to identify if there are changes, such as cervicitis, that may be a sign of cancer. See 6 symptoms that may also indicate cervical cancer.
Usually, the symptoms of cervicitis caused by a sexual infection are more intense, causing a lot of discomfort.
How to confirm the diagnosis
To confirm the presence of cervicitis it is very important to go to the gynecologist for pap smears, which allow the doctor to evaluate the presence of changes in the cervix. In addition, during the pap smear, if cervicitis is suspected, the gynecologist may rub a small swab that will then be evaluated in the laboratory to assess the presence of an infection.
During the consultation, it is still possible for the doctor to make an assessment of the woman's habits as number of partners, type of contraception that uses or is used some type of intimate hygiene product, for example.
How to treat
Treatment for cervicitis is usually done at home only with the ingestion of antibiotic medicines, such as azithromycin, which help fight a possible infection. However, in cases where the woman is very uncomfortable, vaginal creams may also be used.
During treatment it is recommended that the woman does not have intimate contact and her partner should consult a urologist to assess if she has also been infected. See more about Cervicitis Treatment.
