What is cervical erosion?

Will I be at increased risk of cervical cancer because my mother had it?

Question
What are the symptoms of cervical erosion? Can it be treated?

Answer
The cells that cover the surface inside of the womb are different from the cells that cover the cervix (the neck of the womb).

When you go for a smear, the doctor or nurse collects some of the cells from the neck of the womb onto the stick. When these cells are examined, if they are womb cells instead of cervical cells, this is called an erosion.

It is simply that the margin where the change takes place has shifted slightly and the lining becomes a bit raw as a result.

One easy way to think about it, is to think about your mouth. The surface of you lip is different from the surface of the gum inside your lip. At a certain point the two surfaces meet and change.

Imagine what would happen if this margin moved. You'd have some lining from the gum facing the outside world, exposed to the air. It's likely this would lead to a raw patch. This is the kind of thing that is happening in an erosion.

Why does it happen? We don't really know. But it is more common in women who are taking the Pill and might relate to hormone levels.

Treatment is mostly just leaving it alone. More than likely it will get better by itself. Sometimes the surface needs to be treated with a local anaesthetic and cautery.

Yours sincerely

Dr Bob Leckridge, GP