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Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Topic Overview

What is pelvic inflammatory disease?

Pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, is an infection of a woman's Reference reproductive organs Opens New Window Reference Opens New Window.

Treating PID right away is important, because PID can cause scar tissue in the pelvic organs and lead to infertility. It can also cause other problems, such as pelvic pain and Reference tubal (ectopic) pregnancy Opens New Window.

What causes PID?

PID is caused by bacteria entering the reproductive organs through the cervix. When the cervix is infected, bacteria from the vagina can more easily get into and infect the uterus and fallopian tubes.

You're more likely to get PID if you:

Have a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The most common causes of PID are Reference gonorrhea Opens New Window and Reference chlamydia Opens New Window.
Are at risk for STIs. If you are young and you don't use condoms when you have sex, you're more likely to get STIs. Having more than one sex partner also increases your risk for STIs.
Have Reference bacterial vaginosis Opens New Window.
Douche.
Have recently had an IUD inserted or had an abortion.
Have had PID before.

What are the symptoms?

At first, PID may not cause any symptoms. Or it may cause only mild symptoms, such as bleeding or discharge from the vagina. Some women don't even know they have it. They only find out later, when they can't get pregnant or they have pelvic pain.

As the infection spreads, the most common symptom is pain in the lower belly. The pain has been described as crampy or as a dull and constant ache. It may be worse during sex, during bowel movements, or when you urinate. Some women also have a fever.

How is PID diagnosed?

Even when PID causes mild or no symptoms, it can still cause serious problems. So you need to see your doctor if you have any unusual symptoms.

Your doctor will ask about your lifestyle and symptoms. He or she will examine you and do tests to see if you have PID. The test results may take some time. For this reason, your doctor will treat you for the disease before the test results are ready. Treating PID early is important to prevent problems later on.

Your doctor may test you for the most common causes of PID and may also do blood tests to look for signs of infection. Your doctor may also order an Reference ultrasound Opens New Window to see if there are other possible causes of your symptoms. An ultrasound may also show if there is damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, or ovaries from PID.

How is it treated?

To treat PID, you will take antibiotics. Take them as directed. If you don't take all of the medicine, the infection may come back.

If your infection was caused by a sexually transmitted infection, your sex partner(s) will also need to be treated so you don't get infected again. Do not have sex until both of you have finished your medicine. And be sure to follow up with your doctor to make sure that the treatment is working.

If you have a very bad case of PID or are also pregnant, you may need to stay in the hospital and get antibiotics through a vein (intravenous). Sometimes surgery is needed to drain a pocket of infection, called an abscess.

Can you prevent PID?

Your risk of infertility increases each time you have PID, so it is very important to prevent future infections. Using a condom each time you have sex can reduce your chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection that could lead to PID.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learning about pelvic inflammatory disease:	Reference What is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)? Reference What causes it? Reference What are the symptoms? Reference What increases my risk? Reference Who gets PID? Reference When do I need to see my doctor?
Being diagnosed:	Reference How is PID diagnosed? Reference What tests will I need? Reference Do I need to see a specialist?
Getting treatment:	Reference What treatment will I need? Reference Do I need to take medicines? Reference Will I need surgery?
Ongoing concerns:	Reference Can I prevent PID? Reference Will PID come back? Reference What problems can PID cause? Reference Will PID affect my ability to become pregnant?

By:	Reference Healthwise Staff	Last Revised: Reference August 7, 2012
Medical Review:	Reference Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Reference Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.