Cervicitis

If cervicitis occurs suddenly, it is usually caused by an infection. If it has been present for a long time (chronic), it is usually not caused by an infection.

Infections that commonly cause cervicitis include sexually transmitted infections Overview of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) Sexually transmitted infection (STI) refers to an infection that is passed through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or other body fluids during oral, anal, or genital sex with an infected partner... read more such as

Often, the infectious organism causing cervicitis cannot be identified. Infections of the vagina (such as bacterial vaginosis Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) Bacterial vaginosis is a common condition that occurs when the balance of bacteria in the vagina (vaginal microbiome) is altered. Bacterial vaginosis causes a thin, yellow-green or gray discharge... read more and trichomonal vaginitis Trichomonal Vaginitis Trichomonal vaginitis is a vaginal infection caused by the protozoa Trichomonas vaginalis. Trichomonal vaginitis is usually sexually transmitted. It can cause a green or yellow discharge... read more ) may also affect the cervix.

Conditions other than infections can cause cervicitis. They include

Cervicitis may not cause any symptoms. When it does, the most common are an unusual (sometimes yellow-green and puslike) discharge from the vagina and vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods or after sexual intercourse. Some women have pain during intercourse. The area around the opening to the vagina may be red and irritated, as may the vagina.

Women may have other symptoms depending on what is causing cervicitis. For example, if the cause is pelvic inflammatory disease Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the upper female reproductive organs (the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries). Pelvic inflammatory disease is often caused by a sexually... read more , women may have a fever and pain in the lower the abdomen. Herpes simplex infection Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections Herpes simplex virus infection causes recurring episodes of small, painful, fluid-filled blisters on the skin, mouth, lips (cold sores), eyes, or genitals. This very contagious viral infection... read more can also cause fever.

A woman should see her doctor if she has a persistent, unusual vaginal discharge, vaginal bleeding other than during menstrual periods, or pain during sexual intercourse. However, because cervicitis often causes no symptoms, it may be diagnosed during a routine pelvic examination.

If symptoms suggest cervicitis, doctors do a pelvic examination Gynecologic Examination For gynecologic care, a woman should choose a health care practitioner with whom she can comfortably discuss sensitive topics, such as sex, birth control, pregnancy, and problems related to... read more . They check for a discharge from the cervix and touch the cervix with a swab to see whether it bleeds easily. If a puslike discharge is present and if the cervix bleeds easily, cervicitis is likely.

If symptoms suggest pelvic inflammatory disease, doctors use a swab to obtain a sample from the cervix to be tested for infectious organisms that can cause sexually transmitted infections (such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, or trichomoniasis) or bacterial vaginosis.

Most women are tested for infection, but treatment is started immediately, even before test results are available. This is done to provide treatment as soon as possible to avoid complications.

Initial treatment of cervicitis consists of antibiotics that are effective against chlamydia and gonorrhea:

Once the cause of cervicitis is identified, doctors adjust the medications accordingly.

If the cause is the herpes simplex virus Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections Herpes simplex virus infection causes recurring episodes of small, painful, fluid-filled blisters on the skin, mouth, lips (cold sores), eyes, or genitals. This very contagious viral infection... read more , infection usually persists for life. Antiviral medications can control but not cure these infections.

If the cause is a sexually transmitted infection, doctors offer testing for other sexually transmitted infections and counsel about notifying and treating sex partners. For chlamydia or gonorrhea, sex partners should be tested and treated simultaneously. For herpes simplex virus, partners are treated with antiviral medications if they have symptoms.

Women should abstain from sexual activity until the infection has been eliminated from themselves and their sex partners.

Women with confirmed chlamydia or gonorrhea, and those diagnosed with trichomoniasis, should be tested 3 months after treatment because reinfection is common.