Baptist Hospital East : Health Information - Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

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Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

(Copyright Parlay International)

Pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, can mean any infection in your pelvic cavity. PID is one of the most frequent and serious problems among women today. Over one million women undergo treatment for PID each year. Although PID can be treated successfully, it may damage a woman's reproductive organs and result in infertility.

Causes of PID

PID most commonly occurs in sexually active women in their teens, 20s and 30s. Doctors think most cases of PID are caused by sexually transmitted diseases. Organisms that cause sexually transmitted diseases (like gonorrhea and chlamydia) first enter the cervix (the opening of the uterus) and cause infection. In about ten percent of women, these organisms move into the uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries, spreading the disease.

Warning Signs

Symptoms of PID can include:

Pain when urinating.
Mild, aching pain in the lower abdomen.
An unpleasant, odorous discharge from the vagina.
Chills and fever.
Unusual uterine bleeding.
Nausea and vomiting.

Know the Dangers

PID can cause serious illness in women. Each year more than 250,000 women with PID will be hospitalized. Many of these women have to have surgery because of complications arising from PID. Because PID can cause scarring or complete blockage of the fallopian tubes, it is a known cause of ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy occurring in the fallopian tube). If abscesses (infection pockets) form, PID can occur again and again, and pain can continue indefinitely.

Who's at Risk?

Women under 25 who have had more than one sexual partner are at highest risk for PID. If you have had PID before, if you have an IUD inserted or if you have a sexual partner who has had other sexual partners, you may be at risk for PID.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Your doctor may have some difficulty diagnosing PID. The disease's signs resemble other conditions that cause pelvic pain. A pelvic exam helps to determine if your fallopian tubs, uterus or ovaries are infected. Checking the cells of the cervix or having a blood test can show whether you have an infection. Sometimes ultrasound or laparoscopy of your pelvic cavity helps to diagnose PID.

Doctors treat PID with antibiotics that kill the infection-causing organisms. Your doctor may give you two or three different kinds of antibiotics. If you do not feel better after two or three days of taking antibiotics, you may be hospitalized. As with any serious illness, bed rest and relaxation help heal your body. Hot baths, pain medications and heating pads can relieve lower back and abdominal pain caused by PID.

Preventing PID

PID can become a life-threatening illness. You can avoid PID by:

Having a stable sexual relationship with one partner.
Using barrier methods of birth control, such as diaphragms, sponges and condoms.
Using vaginal spermicides during intercourse.
Using birth control pills.

W omen who have more than one sexual partner should use both a barrier method of birth control and a spermicide. Women who have more than one sexual partner and who take birth control pills should also use a vaginal foam and condoms to lower their risk of PID.
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