CERVICAL EROSION -
AN OUT-OF-DATE DISEASE

'Cervical erosion' is definitely terrifying if you were to ever hear it from your doctor. The word 'erosion' gives people an immediate impression of cancer or any cancer-causing health problems. However, if your doctor does diagnose you with that word, whether it is a private or public hospital, leave immediately and report this to the local authorities if they tried to sell you medicines and operations. 

In fact, 'cervical ectropion' is the medical term. It is a situation where the soft cells inside your cervix develop on the outside of the cervix. There are two types of epithelial cells (cells that line the surfaces of your body) in the cervix: squamous cells that are closer to vagina and columnar cells (epithelial cells that are column-shaped) that are in the cervical canal. Because columnar cells look quite different compared to squamous cells that cover the smooth cervix, when the columnar cells develop on the outside of your cervix, it looks like a part of the cervix is eroded. Moreover, the junction area of these two types of cells is medically named ‘SquamoColumnar Junction’.This area is also a predisposing area for cervical cancer, consequently cervical ectropion is difficult to distinguish from early cervical cancer and further tests must be done to diagnose. As a result, cervical erosion was mistaken for a pathological phenomenon in the past. It is a common gynaecological condition that should not be considered a health concern.

The symptoms of cervical ectropion include bleeding outside of regular menses and bleeding after sex, but these are all normal circumstances that you do not need to be worried about. However, symptomatic erosion may need to be treated, and if it becomes a troublesome issue to the patient, discontinuing oral contraceptives or cryotherapy treatment may be able to solve this. 

In some less developed areas, the idea that cervical erosion is not a disease has not been popularised. Due to the lagging medical system and poor social welfare in these regions, doctors in private hospitals always use this to swindle visitors by making them panic. They then sell them medicines that can be harmful. At times it is less likely for the government to step in and act, but you can aid in avoiding further tragedies. Spread this article to your friends and family and let more people know, and you could help!

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References: 

[1]Cervical ectropion. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cervical_ectropion

[2]Nwadike, V. R. (2019, September 19). Cervical ectropion: Symptoms, treatment, and causes. Medical News Today. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320298