What is the Cervix?

The cervix is the lower third portion of the uterus which forms the neck of the uterus and opens into the vagina which is also called the endocervical canal. The narrow opening of the cervix is called the os. The cervical os allows menstrual blood to flow out from the vagina during menstruation. During pregnancy the cervical os closes to help keep the fetus in the uterus until birth. Another important function of the cervix occurs during labor when the cervix dilates, or widens, to allow the passage of the fetus from the uterus to the vagina.

The cervix is covered by the epithelium which is made of a thin layer of cells. Epithelial cells are either squamous or columnar (also called glandular cells). Squamous cells are flat and scaly, while columnar cells appear, as indicated by their name, column-like. Having regular Pap smears is imperative to detect early changes to the cervical cells which may lead to cervical cancer; however, you should know that the majority of abnormal Pap smears are due to inflammation or infection.

If you have had a total hysterectomy like me in which the cervix was removed along with the uterus, you will not usually require Pap testing. An exception is if your hysterectomy was done because of cervical cancer or its precursors. Ask your health care provider if you need to have periodic Pap tests. It is important for all women who have had a hysterectomy to have regular gynecologic exams as part of their health care. I have no Cervix, my book name is really suitable as I am still a woman but I have lost most female organs. But looking at me you would never know!

Comments

"Hard nipples" - areola or nipple skin

Someone once wrote"... when i get really cold, or get goosebumbs all over my body, the whole things really scrunch up, like, my entire areola scrunches itself up into a wrinkled little mound. it looks really weird and ugly, and i haven't ever seen other people's breasts do it. what is wrong with my areola/nipples??" The answer: Well nothing is wrong. This is what my areola does too. It's a normal reaction to the coldness or to irritation / stimulation. The little muscles in the areola do a similar goosebump thing as your other skin can do. People often call this phenomenon "hard nipples". Also note that skin on areola has less feeling or sensation to it than other areas of your body. If the areola was very sensitive, then breastfeeding would probably be quite uncomfortable because the baby pulls and tugs it! The nipples are sensitive but the sensitivity changes with hormonal changes, such as occur at mestrual cycle or pregnancy. Also this v...

Mastectomy Drain Breast Cancer Treatment

The purpose of drains after mastectomy is to drain away the fluid that can gather in the armpit region or around the scar on the chest wall. Some people after mastectomy also find that fluid gathers around the shoulder blade area on their back - this seems more common if the muscle from the back has been used for breast reconstruction at the time the mastectomy was done. When mastectomy is done - and especially if the lymph nodes are removed from the axilla or armpit - then there is a lot of tissue fluid and lymph fluid left with no where to go. This fluid normally flows through the lymph channels but if they are cut then it can escape into the normal skin and muscle tissues. Your surgeon will place drains under your skin after mastectomy. These drains gather up the fluid and remove it to a bottle (or bottles) that you carry around with you. Some people use a belt clip to attach the drain to their waistband - making them more mobile. Others car...

Youngest Breast Cancer Survivor

No one is immune to Breast Cancer. A four-year-old Canadian Girl, Aleisha Hunter, is reported to be the youngest Breast Cancer survivor in the world. On that note, she is also the youngest woman to ever have a mastectomy. At the age of two, her mother found a lump in her daughter's breast and the doctors confirmed that it was a very rare form of breast cancer. According to the article, less than five percent of women will have to have invasive breast cancer surgery before the age of 40. Luckily, this type of cancer is very slow moving and slow growing. So, she was able to be treated without chemotherapy and harsh radiation that would have harmed her developing immune system. I hope that she continues to heal and will realize how strong and special she is one day when she is older. Aleisha, you are strong and a survivor of a disease that claims a number of lives daily. Women and men alike have been stricken by Breast Cancer, although they are usually much older....

I am still a woman - Confessions of a twice cancer survivor - my journey by Nina Ann McCurley

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