Cervical polyps
Cervical polyps have no known cause and are usually benign. Malignant polyps occur in one in a thousand women, and are more common in women who are nearing or past menopause.1
Symptoms of cervical polyps
- Bleeding after sex
- Bleeding between periods
- Bleeding in menopause
- Usually found during a routine examination
- No symptoms
A physician will test your polyp to see if it is indeed a polyp by pushing and pulling it around in four directions with a swab. This differentiates it between other polyp-like conditions of the cervix.
Treatment of cervical polyps
If a polyp is less than 5mm in diameter, it doesn’t need to be removed but it will need monitoring.2 Polyps larger than this should be checked out and likely removed by a surgeon or gynaecologist, which is straightforward. 3
References
- 1.Tanos V, Berry KE, Seikkula J, et al. The management of polyps in female reproductive organs. International Journal of Surgery. Published online July 2017:7-16. doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2017.05.012
- 2.Nelson AL, Papa RR, Ritchie JJ. Asymptomatic Cervical Polyps: Can We Just Let them Be? Womens Health (Lond Engl). Published online March 2015:121-126. doi:10.2217/whe.14.86
- 3.Pegu B, Srinivas BH, Saranya TS, Murugesan R, Priyadarshini Thippeswamy S, Gaur BPS. Cervical polyp: evaluating the need of routine surgical intervention and its correlation with cervical smear cytology and endometrial pathology: a retrospective study. Obstet Gynecol Sci. Published online November 15, 2020:735-742. doi:10.5468/ogs.20177
Jessica is a degree-qualified naturopath (BHSc) specialising in vulvovaginal health and disease, based in Melbourne, Australia.
Jessica is the owner and lead naturopath of My Vagina, and is a member of the:
- International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD)
- International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH)
- National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) Australia
- New Zealand Vulvovaginal Society (ANZVS)
- Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS)