Age 25 – Day 10 – Cervical Ectropion

This is the cervix of a 25 year old woman on day 10 of her cycle. She typically has 25 to 28 day cycles and has never been pregnant. She has been using the birth control pill for about 5 years. She was recently treated for Chlamydia. She experiences bleeding during intercourse due to having a cervical ectropion (also called cervical ectopy or cervical erosion). This means the cells that normally line the inside of os have grown on the face of the cervix. This is a benign condition, usually due to hormonal changes like pregnancy or being on hormonal contraceptives. Her doctor recommended a vaginal gel to alter the pH of the vagina and encourage the glandular cells to stop growing on the external os. The gel has caused some chunky white discharge as it adheres to normal vaginal cell slough, visible in the photo.