Free Book Excerpt from "The V Book: A Doctor's Guide to Complete Vulvovaginal Health"

Cervical ectropion

Sometimes you might experience normal discharge in greater-than-usual amounts because of a condition in the cervix. The cells that line the cervical canal (endocervical cells) can grow out onto the surface of the cervix, creating a condition known as an ectropion. The ectropion has a characteristic reddish, slightly raised appearance, and the cells are glandular, so they may make mucus. This leads to an increased amount of ordinary cervical mucus. A cervical ectropion develops because there is enough estrogen present to cause this outgrowth of cells. Until twenty years ago, clinicians thought the ectropion was abnormal and recommended freezing or destruction by cauterization. We now know that it's a perfectly normal occurrence. Common among women taking oral contraceptives, it's also seen in normal women not on the pill. This is not a condition that needs treatment, and freezing or cauterization may alter the cervical production of mucus considered necessary for fertility.