Infections of the cervix are very common. It is estimated that between four and six million women in the United States are diagnosed with MPC each year and that even more women have undetected infection. Accurate numbers are not available, since cervicitis is not reportable to the health department in every state. MPC appears to be much more common among younger, sexually active women, women who are pregnant, and women who use oral birth control pills and do not use a barrier method to protect against sexually transmitted diseases. Any woman can become infected, however, if she is sexually active with an infected partner.
Many women with MPC do not have symptoms, and MPC is often discovered only on examination. Some symptoms that a woman may notice are a vaginal discharge, often yellow in color,- spotting with blood after intercourse or between periods; pain with intercourse; and burning with urination.
Depending on what is causing the infection of the cervix, there may be other symptoms, such as itching and redness of the labia in trichomonas infection or a sore on the labia from herpes. There can also be pelvic discomfort, although usually this is a symptom that would make a health care provider suspect pelvic inflammatory disease, a complication of cervicitis.
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