Cervix in Spanish

Where is the cervix?

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) dictionary defines the cervix as the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb) that connects the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). It has two main parts, the ectocervix and the endocervix. The ectocervix is the outer part that can be seen during a pelvic exam; the endocervix is the inner part that forms a canal connecting the vagina to the uterus. The area where the two come together is called the squamocolumnar junction, also called the transformation zone.

What does the cervix do?

According to the NCI dictionary, the cervix allows fluids, such as menstrual blood, to pass from the uterus into the vagina, and it widens during the birth of a baby. MedlinePlus describes the same two roles: the cervix has a small opening that expands during childbirth, and it allows menstrual blood to leave the body.

Cervix terms on charts and reports

MedlinePlus names several cervix disorders. Cervical cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix. Cervicitis is swelling of the cervix. Cervical incompetence, also called cervical insufficiency, can happen during pregnancy. Cervical polyps and cysts are fleshy or fluid-filled growths on the cervix. MedlinePlus notes that cervix disorders may not have any symptoms, and that a provider may perform a Pap test to look for changes in the cervix.

What it means

The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb) that connects the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). It is part of the female reproductive system. The cervix allows fluids, such as menstrual blood, to pass from the uterus into the vagina, and it has a small opening that expands during childbirth. The National Cancer Institute dictionary describes two main parts: the ectocervix, the outer part that can be seen during a pelvic exam, and the endocervix, the inner part that forms a canal connecting the vagina to the uterus. A health care provider may notice changes to the cells of the cervix during a pelvic exam and may perform a Pap test to look for changes. In Spanish the term is cuello uterino.

Spanish term: Cuello uterino
Gender and article: masculine: el cuello uterino
Pronunciation: KWEH-yoh oo-teh-REE-noh

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
cuello del útero	General	Other name given by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary at the end of its entry for cuello uterino.
cérvix uterino	General	Other name given by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary in the same entry.
cérvix	General	Appears in MedlinePlus en español inside the name cáncer de cérvix, given as another name for cervical cancer.

Cuello uterino is the term used by both MedlinePlus en español and the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary. It is masculine: el cuello uterino. The NCI dictionary adds that it is also called cérvix uterino and cuello del útero, and MedlinePlus en español lists trastornos del cuello del útero as another name for cervix disorders. The word cérvix appears in MedlinePlus en español inside cáncer de cérvix, given along with cáncer cervicouterino as another name for cervical cancer.

For English "cervical," MedlinePlus en español writes cervical in células cervicales, insuficiencia cervical and pólipos y quistes cervicales, and de cuello uterino in cáncer de cuello uterino. The Pap test is prueba de Papanicolaou, which MedlinePlus en español says is also called citología cervical or Pap. Words on the same pages include útero (matriz) for uterus (womb), canal del parto for birth canal, examen pélvico for pelvic exam and cervicitis, described as inflammation of the cervix. The NCI dictionary names the two parts ectocérvix and endocérvix.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Clinician	When was your last Pap test?	¿Cuándo se hizo su última prueba de Papanicolaou?
Patient	About three years ago. They told me the result was normal.	Hace unos tres años. Me dijeron que el resultado fue normal.
Clinician	During the pelvic exam I am going to look at your cervix and take a sample of cells.	Durante el examen pélvico voy a observar el cuello uterino y tomar una muestra de células.
Patient	Does it hurt when you take the sample from the cervix?	¿Duele cuando toman la muestra del cuello uterino?
Patient	I have had bleeding between my periods for two months.	Llevo dos meses con sangrado entre los períodos menstruales.
Clinician	Have you ever had a procedure or surgery on your cervix?	¿Le han hecho alguna vez un procedimiento o una cirugía en el cuello uterino?
Patient	The report says there are changes in the cells of my cervix. What does that mean?	El informe dice que hay cambios en las células del cuello uterino. ¿Qué significa eso?
Clinician	We will contact you with the results, and we can go over them at your next visit.	Nos comunicaremos con usted para darle los resultados y podemos revisarlos en su próxima consulta.

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Cervix
Spanish (Español)	Cuello uterino
Chinese (中文)	子宮頸
Korean (한국어)	자궁경부
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Cổ tử cung
Filipino (Tagalog)	Leeg ng matris
Portuguese (Português)	Colo do útero
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ปากมดลูก
Japanese (日本語)	子宮頸部

Where you'll see it

chartclinic notespathology reportmedical record

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Reproductive health and pregnancy

All terms in this area: Reproductive health and pregnancy — Salud reproductiva y embarazo

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.