Cervicitis is an inflammation of the cervix, the lower, narrow end of your uterus that opens into your vagina. Most cases of cervicitis are caused by infection with sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Successful treatment of cervicitis involves addressing the cause of the inflammation. In most cases of cervicitis, antibiotics are used to clear an underlying infection.

You can reduce your risk of developing cervicitis by practicing safe sex and by following your doctor's recommended Pap screening schedule.

Most often, cervicitis causes no signs and symptoms, and you may only learn you have the condition after a Pap test or a biopsy for another condition. If you do have signs and symptoms, they may include:

• Vaginal discharge that's grayish or yellow, possibly with an odor
• Frequent, painful urination
• Pain during intercourse
• Vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between menstrual periods or after menopause

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Female reproductive system

Two types of cells line your cervix: flat, skin-like cells (squamous cells) and glandular cells that secrete mucus. The same organisms responsible for vaginitis, an inflammation of the vagina, can cause cervicitis.

Your cervix acts as a barrier to keep bacteria and viruses that come in contact with your vagina from entering your uterus. However, when bacteria and viruses infect the cervix, they cause inflammation and increase the risk that the infection will travel into your uterus. Most often, the bacterial and viral infections that cause cervicitis are transmitted by sexual contact. Infections include the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including gonorrhea, chlamydia and genital herpes.

Other possible causes include:

• Allergic reactions. One possible cause is an allergy, either to contraceptive spermicides or to latex in condoms.
• Bacterial overgrowth. An overgrowth of bacteria that normally appear in the vagina (bacterial vaginosis) is another possible cause.

You're at greater risk of getting cervicitis associated with STDs if you:

• Engage in high-risk sexual behavior, such as if you have unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners
• Began having sex at an early age
• Have a history of sexually transmitted diseases

You may also be at increased risk if you have sex with a partner who has engaged in high-risk sexual behavior or has had a sexually transmitted disease.

Most often, cervicitis produces no signs and symptoms and may be discovered only in the course of a routine Pap test. This is a good reason to have regular pelvic exams and Pap tests. See your doctor if you have persistent, unusual vaginal discharge, nonmenstrual vaginal bleeding or pain during intercourse.

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Pelvic examination

Your doctor will likely perform a physical examination, including:

• A pelvic exam. This exam may reveal redness of the cervix and evidence of discharge. During the exam, your doctor checks your external genitalia to make sure they look normal. To see the inner walls of your vagina and cervix, your doctor inserts an instrument called a speculum into your vagina to hold the vaginal walls apart. After removing the speculum, your doctor inserts two gloved fingers inside your vagina. While simultaneously pressing down on your abdomen, he or she palpates your uterus and ovaries.
• A Pap test. With the speculum in place, your doctor uses a small wooden or plastic spatula and a brush to gently remove cells from your cervix. The procedure generally takes only a few minutes. Your doctor places the cells on a glass slide or in a preservative solution and sends them to a laboratory for microscopic examination. He or she may use swabs to get a sample of your discharge for lab testing for infections.

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, including the uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix and ovaries. Women who develop PID may experience pelvic pain, fever and vaginal discharge, or have no signs or symptoms. PID may be detected only later when a woman has trouble becoming pregnant and learns that her reproductive organs have been damaged.

You may not need treatment for cervicitis that's not caused by an STD. If the cause is an STD, both you and your partner are likely to need treatment.

Prescription medications often can clear up the inflammation of cervicitis. Treatment for a bacterial infection is with an antibiotic. If the cause is viral, such as genital herpes, the treatment is an antiviral medication. However, antiviral medication doesn't cure herpes, which is a chronic condition.

One of the best ways to reduce the risk of cervicitis from STDs is to practice safer sex. Women who become sexually active at a later age and those in monogamous relationships are at a lower risk of getting cervicitis than are those who become sexually active early in life and who have multiple partners.

Using a latex condom during intercourse reduces the risk of sexually transmitted infections. However, some women have allergies to latex condoms or to spermicidal jelly, which is used with condoms to prevent pregnancy. If you're allergic to latex, you'll need to use a nonlatex condom or another method of birth control. No other birth control method besides condoms protects against STDs.