Clinical meaning
Cervicitis is inflammation of the cervix, most commonly caused by sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The cervix is lined with columnar epithelial cells that are particularly vulnerable to bacterial invasion. When pathogens infect the cervical mucosa, they trigger an inflammatory response that produces mucopurulent discharge (yellow or green mucus with pus). If left untreated, the infection can ascend from the cervix into the uterus and fallopian tubes, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which carries risks of infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. Cervicitis can also be caused by non-infectious irritants such as chemical douches or latex allergies, though infectious causes are most common.