Cervical erosion is a manifestation of chronic cervicitis, mainly referring to the complete stripping of the mucous membrane of the cervix within the vagina, exposing the rough tissue surface underneath, appearing like an ulcer without epithelial coverage. Usually, a circle of varying sizes or irregularly shaped red areas can be seen on the cervix within the vagina, covered by a single layer of columnar epithelium. Beneath it, capillaries are congested and edematous, glands are blocked, accumulating mucus or purulent secretions. The surface often appears reddish, uneven, which is what is referred to as cervical erosion.
Director Xu from Suzhou Dongwu Hospital introduced: Cervical erosion is a common and prevalent disease among women. Especially for married women who have given birth, almost 60% to 80% have varying degrees of cervical erosion. Cervical erosion can cause increased vaginal discharge, blood in the discharge, or post-coital bleeding, often accompanied by lower back pain, menstrual disorders, infertility, etc. Severe cervical erosion, if untreated, may lead to precancerous lesions or cervical cancer in a few cases. Therefore, women should undergo regular gynecological examinations. Those with severe cervical erosion should seek timely and thorough treatment. Additionally, they should understand the five major causes of cervical erosion in daily life.
The first culprit: Unhygienic sexual activity
Unmarried women, due to the protective barrier of the hymen, maintain a balanced micro-ecosystem in the vagina, so even if bacteria invade, it's hard for them to cause trouble, hence cervical erosion rarely occurs. Once sexual activity begins, the vagina is relatively in an "open" state. During intercourse, the penis has direct contact with the cervix. If men do not pay attention to hygiene during sex, they can directly bring bacteria into the vagina, infecting the cervix; for women who already have cervical erosion, this can exacerbate their cervical inflammation, expand the eroded area, and in severe cases, cause post-coital bleeding. Thus, cervical erosion - men are not blameless. Therefore, before sexual activity, it is important to persuade men to clean their external genitalia.
The second culprit: Multiple induced abortions
More importantly, repeated induced abortions can cause varying degrees of cervical damage, providing an opportunity for bacteria to invade, leading to cervicitis. Due to the stimulation of inflammation, local secretions increase, and the cervix being long-term immersed in inflammatory secretions will lead to erosion. Therefore, women of childbearing age must take contraceptive measures to avoid multiple induced abortions, preventing the occurrence of cervical erosion.
Mild cervical erosion clinically often shows no symptoms, some patients may experience increased vaginal discharge, which can be milky white mucus or yellow pus. Sometimes there can be bloody discharge or contact bleeding from the cervix, generally not affecting fertility, so female friends need not worry excessively.
The third culprit: Excessive cleaning
Some women focus heavily on hygiene but lack necessary knowledge, frequently using highly concentrated disinfectant solutions to rinse the vagina, resulting in counterproductive effects. Because doing so not only affects the normal growth of vaginal flora, reducing its ability to suppress bacteria, but also can cause varying degrees of cervical epithelial injury, eventually leading to erosion. Therefore, the correct method of cleaning the vulva should be: appropriately cleaning the outer vulva, if not necessary, do not rinse the vagina, maintaining the natural defense of the female reproductive tract, not disrupting the ecological balance of the vagina, not allowing bacteria to proliferate.
The fourth culprit: Prolonged menstruation
Studies show that cervical erosion is related to the menstrual cycle and duration: women with a menstrual cycle ≤20 days have a disease rate of 81.80%, ≥20 days have a disease rate ≤43.81%; women with menstrual duration ≤2 days have a disease rate of only 33.33%, ≥8 days have a disease rate of 83.33%. Therefore, women with short cycles and prolonged menstruation are more likely to develop cervical erosion. This can be addressed by extending the cycle and shortening the menstrual period to reduce the incidence of erosion.
The fifth culprit: Multiple sexual partners, excessive sexual intensity (more than four times a week), and sexual activity during menstruation are also significant reasons for cervical erosion that cannot be ignored.
In summary, paying attention to sexual hygiene, avoiding repeated abortions, correctly cleaning the vulva, adjusting the menstrual cycle, and abstaining from extramarital sexual activity are the fundamental ways to stay away from cervical erosion. LEEP knife minimally invasive technology, with its unique advantages and numerous clinical cure data, is undoubtedly the preferred technology for treating severe cervical erosion. Suzhou Dongwu Hospital keeps up with the forefront of medicine and was one of the first hospitals in Suzhou to introduce this technology. So far, this technology has successfully helped tens of thousands of patients with long-term and recurrent moderate to severe cervical erosion to get rid of the troubles of the disease, receiving praise from both patients and recognition from industry experts.
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