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/neonatal complications.

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