Help and Hope for the Woman with an Unhealthy Cervix

Hello Beloved! This week we conclude our monthlong focus on cervical health with Obstetrician and Gyneacologist, Dr. Anna-Kay Taylor Christmas highlighting some of the symptoms of an unhealthy cervix and appropriate measures we may take in the event that we are unwell.

The Unhealthy Cervix
What are signs that something is wrong?

• Abnormal discharges which manifest with abnormal colours, bad smells, change in consistency and associated symptoms like pain or burning in the vagina or vulva are signs of a problem.
• Cervical infections or cancers can also cause irregular bleeding, usually after sex, but sometimes just random spotting or heavier bleeding. They may also cause painful intercourse, with pain usually in the pelvis.
• Cervical infections and cancer can also cause symptoms that mimic a bladder infection or cause vague back and pelvic pain that are not related to menstruation.
• In pregnancy, a weakened cervix can lead to premature labour or even miscarriage as it is unable to support the weight of a growing foetus. These may be painless but may also be preceded by bleeding and/or pain.

What do we do if we suspect something is wrong?

• If you have any abnormal symptoms, you should go see your gynaecologist as soon as possible. She can examine and test you for the common causes and treat or guide you as necessary. Home remedies or a wait-and-see approach may cause unnecessarily prolonged symptoms and may allow diseases, such as cervical cancer to progress to serious stages.
• ​In pregnancy, always err on the side of caution and get checked right away for any bleeding or abnormal pains.
• ​Prevention is always better than cure, so remain attuned to your body to appreciate what is normal for you. Try to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle and have a good relationship with your trusted gynaecologist.

Beloved, we hope that this information becomes useful to you as a means to maintain and encourage longterm health. However, we know that some of you may have received less than happy news and are now in a season of mourning. We pray that this devotional by Jennifer O. White, hosted on www.ibelieve.com, will inspire hope in your heart through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dr, Anna-Kay Taylor Christmas is a Christian, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and Wife and Mother to two lovely girls. She graduated from The University of the West Indies undergraduate and postgraduate medical programmes, and is now completing a fellowship in Gynaecologic Oncology in Australia. She has a special interest in minimally-invasive (key-hole) gynaecologic surgery. She is a member of and attends Providence Methodist Church in Jamaica, where she is currently a part of the praise team. She enjoys singing and reading when out of the hospital and believes that medicine and music are her ministries here on earth. She is looking forward to contributing to the EarthBasic community and increasing women’s health knowledge.