Your cervix acts as a barrier to keep bacteria and viruses from entering your uterus. When the cervix is infected, there is an increased risk that the infection will travel into your uterus.
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 that can cause fertility problems if left untreated.
Cervicitis can also increase the risk of a woman getting HIV from an infected sexual partner.
Oct. 24, 2014
- Klausner JD, et al., eds. Current Diagnosis & Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2007. http://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=369&Sectionid=39914786. Accessed September 12, 2014.
- Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2015: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2015. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Sept. 12, 2014.
- 2010 sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines. Atlanta, Ga.: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2010/default.htm. Accessed Sept. 12, 2014.
- Marrazzo J. Acute cervicitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Sept. 12, 2014.
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