4 Essential Things You Need to Know About Cervicitis

Cervicitis is an inflammation of the cervix which affects over half of women at some points of their life. It might be difficult to recognize cervicitis since it’s typically symptomless, but sometimes it can cause painful sex. Given that the condition is common and mostly symptomless, it’s important to know some essential things about it:   

1. Painful sex as a symptom of cervicitis 

Sex can actually make a completely healthy cervix sore, so if you have cervicitis, normal sexual intercourse can become extremely painful due to the damage inflammation is doing to your cervix. In addition to sharp pain, you might also bleed during penetration if you have cervicitis.

If the inflammation caused by cervicitis spreads through the vagina, you might develop symptoms such as increased vaginal discharge, painful urination, itching, burning sensation, or other signs of vaginal inflammation.

2. Causes of cervicitis 

Although cervicitis has many possible causes, it’s usually provoked by an infection, for instance, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, HPV, and trichomoniasis. Cervicitis can also be provoked by bacterial vaginosis and candidiasis (yeast overgrowth).   

Another common culprit of cervicitis is allergy. This occurs when the cervix comes into contact with things that can irritate the tissue like latex, spermicide, douching, scented body washes, or feminine hygiene products. Also, pelvic injury such as childbirth as well as malignant tumors on the cervix can provoke cervicitis.

3. Cervicitis diagnosis and treatment 

Cervicitis treatment typically involves eliminating the root cause, which oftentimes requires investigation. Doctors usually begin with testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and other infections that might potentially provoke inflammation. If there's nothing there, they will perform a Pap smear, since bleeding and dyspareunia (pain during sex) may indicate cervical cancer. 

If your cervicitis is provoked by herpes or HPV, your gynecologist might recommend an antiviral treatment, and if it’s allergic cervicitis, they will recommend you avoid exposure to spermicide latex or douches. Cervicitis caused by chlamydia or gonorrhea can be treated effectively with several antibiotics, including doxycycline, ofloxacin, and erythromycin.

Cervicitis treatment might also involve relieving symptoms, like pain, while waiting for the root cause to clear up. Your doctor might recommend lidocaine jelly. This is a local anesthetic in a jelly form that you can place anywhere with mucous membranes to lower discomfort.

If you’ve been diagnosed with gonorrhea or chlamydia, your sexual partner must be treated at the same time, even if they don’t have any symptoms. It’s also important to stop have sex until both you and your partner have completed all antibiotic medicine, and, and you have been told by your doctor that you are not infected anymore.

4. Cervicitis complications

 In most cases, cervicitis is harmful and benign, however it might be problematic. Since cervicitis might be a sign of serious infections, if left untreated, STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can provoke pelvic inflammatory disease. Pelvic inflammatory disease is an infection of the reproductive organs that can raise your risk for ectopic pregnancy, preterm labor, miscarriage, and even infertility. Moreover, pelvic inflammatory disease can result in peritonitis, a life-threatening infection. 

Cervicitis can progress and therefore it can contribute to some more serious problems, therefore it's important to start searching for the root cause and treating it in time. If treated in time, cervicitis shouldn't affect your ability to get pregnant. Therefore, if you suspect you have cervicitis, you shouldn’t freak out, visit your health care provider or gynecologist.