Do cervical polyps affect menstruation?

Written by Wang Jing Hua
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Updated on May 28, 2025
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Cervical polyps do not affect menstruation because cervical polyps are just localized inflammatory changes in the cervix, resulting from chronic inflammation that causes localized hyperplasia and the formation of polyps. They do not affect the endocrine system, nor do they affect the endometrium, so they do not affect menstruation. However, cervical polyps may also cause bleeding problems, such as contact bleeding or irregular bleeding following an infection, but this is different from menstrual bleeding. Therefore, in cases of vaginal bleeding, routine examinations are necessary to check for bleeding on the cervical surface and to see if there are issues like cervical polyps, and to examine for conditions such as uterine inflammation, etc.

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Written by Yan Qiao
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Can cervical polyps recur?

Cervical polyps are highly prone to recurrence. Often after removal, polyps can repeatedly grow back. Possible causes may be related to persistent inflammatory stimulation, hormonal imbalances such as excessively high levels of estrogen, and infections from pathogens. Mainly, infections from pathogens might occur through invasive procedures or external factors such as childbirth in women. Therefore, if the inflammation persists, individual differences in physical constitution with continuously high levels of estrogen, and the invasion of external pathogens can all contribute to the recurrent occurrence of cervical polyps.

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Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Do cervical polyps differentiate between benign and malignant?

Under normal circumstances, cervical polyps are considered benign hyperplastic lesions of the cervix, possibly related to the body's hormone levels or caused by inflammatory stimulation resulting in inflammatory polyps. However, sometimes malignancies of the endometrium or cervix can also present as polyp-like growths. It is usually impossible to distinguish benign from malignant lesions just by visual inspection. Therefore, whenever cervical polyps are found, it is common practice to perform a surgical removal of the cervical polyp and then conduct a histopathological examination to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions.

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Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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How is a cervical polyp examined?

Cervical polyps in women can be detected through routine gynecological examinations, especially the smaller cervical polyps, which can be seen inside the cervical canal when the vagina is opened with a speculum. These small, blood-red protrusions resemble tongues and their stalks, generally located inside the cervical canal, are invisible. Therefore, other diagnostic methods, such as the commonly used color ultrasound, can also detect cervical polyps, but usually only when the polyps have reached a certain size in diameter that the ultrasound can differentiate them. Even with transvaginal ultrasound, the cervical polyps need to be large enough to be detected, so ultrasound should not be considered as the first choice for examination. Furthermore, another important diagnostic method is pathological examination. All surgically removed cervical polyps must undergo histopathological examination to rule out the possibility of malignancy.

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Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Is it okay not to have surgery for cervical polyps?

When women have cervical polyps, surgical treatment is required regardless of the size of the polyps, and not undergoing surgery is not an option. Firstly, the texture of cervical polyps is relatively fragile, which can easily lead to bleeding upon contact, such as bleeding after intercourse. Some women with vaginal inflammation can infect the cervical polyps, leading to inflammatory secretions, such as purulent secretions or secretions containing blood. If cervical polyps are not surgically removed, they may continue to grow, and they have a characteristic of being multiple. For instance, the occurrence of multiple cervical polyps can also affect the normal menstrual cycle of women. Some women with cervical cancer or endometrial cancer can also present polyp-like growths, and from the appearance, it is not possible to distinguish whether the growths are malignant or benign. Therefore, generally, once cervical polyps are found, they should be surgically removed, and a histological examination should be performed after surgery to rule out the possibility of malignant changes.

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Written by Shen Li Wen
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Is cervical polyp not very serious?

In most cases, cervical polyps in women are benign lesions of the cervix caused by chronic inflammation. If the polyp is small, typically the clinical symptoms are not severe, or there may even be no symptoms at all. Some women might experience a small amount of vaginal bleeding or blood-streaked discharge after intercourse or a gynecological examination. When the size of the cervical polyp increases, the clinical manifestations can be more severe, such as bloody discharge or bleeding after intercourse. In very rare cases, regardless of the size, cervical polyps may be cancerous. In such cases, it is necessary to remove them promptly and perform a histopathological examination to determine whether the lesion is benign or malignant.