Lower genital tract infections

1. Big picture

Lower genital tract infections are infections or dysbiosis affecting the vulva, vagina, and cervix. In exams, think in clinical syndromes, not organism lists:

Vaginal discharge / itch / odor → vaginitis
Mucopurulent discharge + contact bleeding → cervicitis
Genital ulcer → HSV or syphilis until proven otherwise
Warty lesion → HPV condyloma
Pelvic pain + fever + cervical motion tenderness → PID, no longer “lower tract only”

The most important exam skill is to distinguish vaginitis from cervicitis, because cervicitis can ascend and cause **pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infertility, ectopic pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, and pregnancy/neona