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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Your doctor will likely perform a physical examination, including:
- A pelvic exam. During this exam, your doctor manually checks your pelvic organs for areas of swelling and tenderness. He or she also may place a speculum in your vagina to expose the upper part of the vagina and the cervix for visual examination.
- A specimen collection. In a process similar to a Pap test, your doctor uses a small cotton swab or a brush to gently remove a sample of cervical and vaginal fluid. The procedure generally takes only a few minutes. Your doctor sends the sample to a laboratory to test for infections. Lab tests also may be performed on a urine sample.
References
- McCormack WM. Vulvovaginitis and cervicitis. In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00107-7. Accessed Oct. 17, 2011.
- Marrazzo J. Cervicitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 17, 2011.
- Eckert LO, et al. Infections of the lower genital tract: Vulva, vagina, cervix, toxic shock syndrome, HIV infections. In: Katz VL, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/161833431-5/0/1524/147.html?tocnode=53759472&fromURL=147.html. Accessed Oct. 17, 2011.
- Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines 2010: Diseases characterized by urethritis and cervicitis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2010/urethritis-and-cervicitis.htm. Accessed Oct. 17, 2011.
- Marrazzo JM. Cervicitis. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3025026. Accessed Oct. 18, 2011.
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