Cervicitis

Cervicitis is inflammation of the cervix, usually caused by a sexually transmitted infection. Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are major causes; Mycoplasma genitalium, Trichomonas vaginalis, and herpes simplex virus can also be responsible. The cervix can become visibly inflamed because infection draws fluid and inflammatory cells into its tissue. This produces purulent or mucopurulent material at the cervical opening. Inflamed tissue is also fragile: gentle swabbing or contact during examination may cause bleeding. That friability explains why some patients report spotting after intercourse. Cervicitis may be mild or produce no obvious symptoms. A patient may instead present with new discharge, postcoital bleeding, intermenstrual spotting, or discomfort. The assessment goal is not merely to identify discharge; it is to determine whether the cervix is the source and whether infection may have extended above it. Untreated infection can ascend from the cervix into the upper reproductive tract, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). The consequences can include chronic pelvic pain, infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and increased susceptibility to HIV acquisition and transmission.