An ablation device for treating abnormal epithelial tissue of the uterine cervix, comprising:an operative head having a support surface adapted to conformably engage at least a portion of the cervix; and an energy delivery element on the support surface and configured to receive energy from a source, the energy delivery element comprising a plurality of annular electrodes configured to deliver ablational energy to the tissue in a manner that controls a surface area and a depth of ablation, wherein controlling the depth of ablation includes spacing apart the plurality of annular electrodes at intervals in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 4 mm.