Cervical erosion
My doctor has said that my cervix was too high up and is eroding. What does this mean?
The cervix moves up and down within the vagina throughout the month but is closer to the entrance during ovulation. The fact that it was high up probably meant that the doctor found it slightly difficult to reach, that's all. It's nothing to worry about as far as you're concerned.
The narrow passage through the cervix is lined with glandular cells that secrete mucus, while the outer part of the cervix is usually lined with a different, flat type of lining cell. Sometimes the glandular cells grow down and appear on the outer surface of the cervix to form a red, velvet-like area called a cervical erosion. This term is misleading however, nothing is really being eroded and the condition is entirely normal.
A more accurate term is a cervical ectropion. These cervical changes are a natural response to the female hormone, oestrogen, and can occur naturally in some women, during pregnancy, in those who have had children, and in women taking the oral contraceptive pill. Most ectropions cause no symptoms. However, in some women they produce an increased mucus discharge. Occasionally the delicate cells may bleed easily when touched or during vigorous sex.
A cervical erosion that does not cause troublesome symptoms normally needs no treatment. If symptoms do occur, treatment by freezing (cryotherapy), heating (cauterization) or laser may be suggested. Like all women, those with a cervical erosion are advised to have regular cervical smears. This is not because erosion increases the risk of cervical cancer, but because the visual appearance of erosion may make it more difficult to recognise a cervical cancer should one occur.
The narrow passage through the cervix is lined with glandular cells that secrete mucus, while the outer part of the cervix is usually lined with a different, flat type of lining cell. Sometimes the glandular cells grow down and appear on the outer surface of the cervix to form a red, velvet-like area called a cervical erosion. This term is misleading however, nothing is really being eroded and the condition is entirely normal.
A more accurate term is a cervical ectropion. These cervical changes are a natural response to the female hormone, oestrogen, and can occur naturally in some women, during pregnancy, in those who have had children, and in women taking the oral contraceptive pill. Most ectropions cause no symptoms. However, in some women they produce an increased mucus discharge. Occasionally the delicate cells may bleed easily when touched or during vigorous sex.
A cervical erosion that does not cause troublesome symptoms normally needs no treatment. If symptoms do occur, treatment by freezing (cryotherapy), heating (cauterization) or laser may be suggested. Like all women, those with a cervical erosion are advised to have regular cervical smears. This is not because erosion increases the risk of cervical cancer, but because the visual appearance of erosion may make it more difficult to recognise a cervical cancer should one occur.
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