Cervical Erosion (Ectropion)
During your smear test, the gp or practice nurse will also be looking for other changes occuring within your vagina. One of these, cervical erosion, is commonly detected in young women, women who are pregnant and women using the contraceptive pill.
Cervical erosion is a condition in which cells that are normally detected in the cervical canal are found on the cervix. Very often no symptoms are present although sometimes it is responsible for discharge and bleeding after sex and sometimes between your periods.
However, although it is often found, cervical erosion is not a serious condition and is not in any way related to cancer. Often it disappears spontaneously although it can be easily treated by simply destroying the wayward cells in the same way that abnormal cells are treated. (See treatments for cervical changes)
Related Smear Test Articles
Treatments for Cervical Changes
Cervical Cancer and Human Papilloma Virus
Resources
For further information about HPV visit NHS Cancer Screening Programme.
Further information about Colposcopy and invasive illness is available from the British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.
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