Cervicitis

Brown Health Services Patient Education Series

 

What is cervicitis? How is it diagnosed?

Cervicitis is a general term describing inflammation
Your provider performs a pelvic exam and swabs
of the cervix. The cervix is the portion of the uterus
the cervical or vaginal discharge to determine what
that opens into the vagina.
organism is causing the inflammation.
How does it occur?
How is it treated?
● Infections by bacteria or viruses
Treatment for cervicitis is usually very successful.
● Often transmitted by sexual contact
● Requires that you take a course of
● including bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas,
prescription medication
gonorrhea, chlamydia, ureaplasma,
● Take all of the medication you are given,
mycoplasma and herpes
even if the symptoms start to go away
● frequent douching may also be associated
before the medicine is gone
with cervicitis
● If you stop taking the medicine, you may
● if left untreated, infection may ascend into
leave some of the infection in your body
the reproductive tract to infect the uterus
● See your medical provider again for a
and/or fallopian tubes, and result in pelvic
follow- up visit to insure that the treatment
inflammatory disease (PID)
was effective.
● PID is a serious condition which can damage
reproductive organs and possibly lead to
If you are sexually active, and your cervicitis is due
infertility
to an STI, ​it is very important that any sexual
partner(s) within the past 60 days be treated as
What are the symptoms?
well. Even if you are treated and a sexual partner is
Cervicitis may produce no symptoms at all and may
not, you may become reinfected if the partner still
go undetected until your medical provider discovers
has the infection. During treatment, it is important
the inflammation during a routine pelvic exam.
to abstain from intercourse or any exchange of
Symptoms of cervicitis include:
genital fluids. If your treatment is a single dose,
● abnormal vaginal discharge
then you should abstain from sex for the seven days
● discomfort or pain in the lower abdomen,
following. If given a longer course of antibiotics, you
including after sexual intercourse
and partner(s), should abstain throughout the
● bleeding or spotting from the vagina after
course of treatment. Untreated male partners can
intercourse or between menstrual periods
develop infections in the urethra, testicles and/or
prostate gland. Use of condoms and dental dams is
advised for the best STI protection.

 
Brown Health Services Patient Education Series: Cervicitis
www.brown.edu/health​ 401-863-3953
(last updated 3/20)