MUCOPURULENT CERVICITIS: TREATMENT
Treatment of the underlying infection should cure the cervicitis. For bacterial causes, antibiotics (usually chosen to cover gonorrhea and chlamydia) are used. If trichomoniasis is seen or suspected, or if herpes simplex is suspected, treatment is directed toward these organisms. Through careful examination and testing, your health care provider will be able to decide which medication is best for you. As with all infections discussed in this book, it is important not to self-treat, since the decision about which medications to use is a complicated one, and self-treatment will often make it more difficult in the long run to sort out what is actually happening. For example, if someone starts to have symptoms, begins taking an antibiotic that was prescribed for another type of infection, and then visits a health care provider for evaluation because the medication didn’t work, it may be difficult to determine the cause of the initial symptoms. Douching may also mask the symptoms and make diagnosis more difficult.
After being seen, diagnosed, and treated for the infection, the most important thing is to follow up to make sure that the treatment worked. Follow-up evaluation after a cervical infection is usually performed about a week or so after finishing the medication prescribed, or sooner if the symptoms get worse during treatment. Because of the risk of untreated (or unsuccessfully treated) bacterial cervicitis progressing to pelvic inflammatory disease, follow-up to make certain that the infection has resolved is crucial.
Partners of women diagnosed with MPC must also be evaluated and treated, whether or not they have symptoms themselves and whether or not they show evidence of infection on examination.
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