Pelvic inflammatory disease facts*
*Pelvic inflammatory facts medical author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
What is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of a woman's pelvic organs. The pelvic organs include the uterus (womb), fallopian (fuh-LOH-pee-uhn) tubes (tubes), ovaries, and cervix.
What causes pelvic inflammatory disease?
A woman can get PID if bacteria (germs) move up from her vagina and infect her pelvic organs. Many different types of bacteria can cause PID. But, most cases of PID are caused by bacteria that cause 2 common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) — gonorrhea (gah-nuh-REE-uh) and chlamydia (kluh-MI-dee-uh). It can take from a few days to a few months for an infection to travel up from the vagina to the pelvic organs.
You can get PID without having an STI. Normal bacteria found in the vagina and on the cervix can sometimes cause PID. No one is sure why this happens.
Picture of a woman's reproductive organs
How common is pelvic inflammatory disease?
Each year in the United States, more than 1 million women have an episode of PID. More than 100,000 women become infertile each year because of PID. Also, many ectopic pregnancies that occur are due to problems from PID.
Are some women more likely to get pelvic inflammatory disease?
Yes. You're more likely to get pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) if you:
What are the signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease?
Many women don't know they have PID because they don't have any symptoms. For women who have them, symptoms can range from mild to severe. The most common symptom of PID is pain in your lower abdomen (stomach area). Other symptoms include:
Pelvic inflammatory disease can come on fast with extreme pain and fever, especially if it's caused by gonorrhea.
How is pelvic inflammatory disease diagnosed?
If you think that you may have pelvic inflammatory disease, see a doctor right away. If you have pain in your lower abdomen (stomach area), your doctor will perform a physical exam. This will include a pelvic (internal) exam. Your doctor will check for:
Your doctor will also test you for STIs, including HIV and syphilis (SI-fuh-luhs), urinary tract infection, and if needed, pregnancy. If needed, your doctor may do other tests.
These tests will help your doctor find out if you have pelvic inflammatory disease, or if you have a different problem that looks like PID.
What causes pelvic inflammatory disease?
A woman can get PID if bacteria (germs) move up from her vagina and infect her pelvic organs. Many different types of bacteria can cause PID. But, most cases of PID are caused by bacteria that cause 2 common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) — gonorrhea (gah-nuh-REE-uh) and chlamydia (kluh-MI-dee-uh). It can take from a few days to a few months for an infection to travel up from the vagina to the pelvic organs.
You can get PID without having an STI. Normal bacteria found in the vagina and on the cervix can sometimes cause PID. No one is sure why this happens.
Picture of a woman's reproductive organs
How common is pelvic inflammatory disease?
Each year in the United States, more than 1 million women have an episode of PID. More than 100,000 women become infertile each year because of PID. Also, many ectopic pregnancies that occur are due to problems from PID.
Are some women more likely to get pelvic inflammatory disease?
Yes. You're more likely to get pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) if you:
What are the signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease?
Many women don't know they have PID because they don't have any symptoms. For women who have them, symptoms can range from mild to severe. The most common symptom of PID is pain in your lower abdomen (stomach area). Other symptoms include:
Pelvic inflammatory disease can come on fast with extreme pain and fever, especially if it's caused by gonorrhea.
How is pelvic inflammatory disease diagnosed?
If you think that you may have pelvic inflammatory disease, see a doctor right away. If you have pain in your lower abdomen (stomach area), your doctor will perform a physical exam. This will include a pelvic (internal) exam. Your doctor will check for:
Your doctor will also test you for STIs, including HIV and syphilis (SI-fuh-luhs), urinary tract infection, and if needed, pregnancy. If needed, your doctor may do other tests.
These tests will help your doctor find out if you have pelvic inflammatory disease, or if you have a different problem that looks like PID.
How is pelvic inflammatory disease treated?
PID can be cured with antibiotics (drugs that kill bacteria). Most of the time, at least 2 antibiotics are used that work against a wide range of bacteria. Your doctor will work with you to find the best treatment for you. You must take all your medicine, even if your symptoms go away. This helps to make sure your infection is fully cured. You should see your doctor again 2 to 3 days after starting treatment to make sure the antibiotics are working.
Without treatment, PID can lead to severe problems like infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain.
Any damage done to your pelvic organs before you start treatment likely cannot be undone. Still, don't put off getting treatment. If you do, you may not be able to have children. If you think you may have PID, see a doctor right away.
Your doctor may suggest going into the hospital to treat your PID if you:
If you still have symptoms or if the abscess doesn't go away after treatment, you may need surgery. Problems caused by PID, such as constant pelvic pain and scarring, are often hard to treat. But, sometimes they get better after surgery.
What if my partner is infected with pelvic inflammatory disease?
Even if your sex partner doesn't have any symptoms, she or he could still be infected with bacteria that can cause pelvic inflammatory disease. Take steps to protect yourself from being infected again.
Source: http://www.rxlist.com
Pelvic inflammatory disease can come on fast with extreme pain and fever, especially if it's caused by gonorrhea.
Source: http://www.rxlist.com
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