“Cervical erosion” is not a disease, why do we women still need to treat it?

"Cervical erosion" as a disease has existed for hundreds of years.

The term "cervical erosion" was first used because the cervix was observed to be red, like skin eczema and erosion, so it was called this and has been used ever since. Looking through the 5th edition of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in the 29th chapter, section 2, chronic cervicitis, the explanation of "cervical erosion" says: (it) is a common pathological change of chronic cervicitis, and the cervical vaginal part at the external cervical opening appears as a fine granular red area. Because it is a "pathological change", cervical erosion was identified as a disease during this period.

"In fact, it was discovered long ago that 'cervical erosion' is not a disease, but a physiological phenomenon." In the second section of Chapter 17 on cervical inflammation, cervical erosion is no longer labeled as a pathological change, but is changed to: the cervical vaginal part at the external os of the cervix appears as a granular red area, which is called "cervical erosion." At present, obstetrics and gynecology textbooks in Western countries have abandoned the term "cervical erosion" and replaced it with "cervical columnar epithelium ectopia," and believe that it is not a pathological change, but one of the physiological changes of the cervix.

During this period, "cervical erosion" is still considered a disease in the eyes of most medical students and doctors.

In 2008, the 7th revised edition of Obstetrics and Gynecology was published. As a planned textbook of the Ministry of Health, "cervical erosion" disappeared from the book, "this is the first time that the term 'cervical erosion' has been corrected in the form of a textbook."

During this period, cervical erosion is no longer a disease, it is just a physiological phenomenon. The columnar epithelial eversion is caused by the estrogen in the female body. This physiological phenomenon will last for decades from the female's puberty.

If it is a disease, it must be treated. So, since it is a physiological phenomenon, does it still need to be treated? Just like menstruation is a female physiological phenomenon, there is no doubt that it does not require any treatment at all.