Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment on MedicineNet.com

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Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Disease Prevention in Women Slideshow

What is pelvic inflammatory disease?

How common is pelvic inflammatory disease?

How do women get pelvic inflammatory disease?

What are the symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease?

What are the complications of pelvic inflammatory disease?

How is pelvic inflammatory disease diagnosed?

How is pelvic inflammatory disease treated?

How can pelvic inflammatory disease be prevented?

Patient Discussions: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - Describe Your Symptoms

Featured pelvic inflammatory disease patient discussions on symptoms experienced

"The symptoms I had of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) were mainly stomach pain and a diminished appetite. I had no discharge, bleeding or any of the other symptoms mentioned. My episode was caused by the bacteria from my skin and an STI. I should also mention that I am nearly 40 and not in the more vulnerable under 25 group."

"I am 31 years old and was recently diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). I did my yearly pap smears, but nothing was found from them. I recently had surgery. My doctor removed my right ovary and tube. He also made an incision on my left tube to drain the fluids and hopefully unblock the tube so I can get pregnant in the future. The surgery was very painful, and I have to be off work for eight weeks."

"I am 19 and was recently diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). My doctor kept telling me it was stress or cramps or constipation making my stomach hurt. I got a new doctor. They diagnosed me with bacterial vaginosis and later realized I actually had PID. I�m absolutely distraught to think I might not be able to have children. If you have any stomach pain get it checked out ASAP. Also, I didn't have any symptoms whatsoever except the pain in my stomach."

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Top Searched Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Terms:

symptoms, signs, swollen lymph nodes, causes, ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, chlamydia, STDs, pelvic pain

Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, or treatment.
See the disclaimer at the bottom of the comments page.

What is pelvic inflammatory disease?

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a general term that refers to infection of the uterus (womb), fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus) and other reproductive organs. It is a common and serious complication of some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), especially chlamydia and gonorrhea. PID can damage the fallopian tubes and tissues in and near the uterus and ovaries. Untreated PID can lead to serious consequences including infertility, ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy in the fallopian tube or elsewhere outside of the womb), abscess formation, and chronic pelvic pain.

How common is pelvic inflammatory disease?

Each year in the United States, it is estimated that more than 1 million women experience an episode of acute PID. More than 100,000 women become infertile each year as a result of PID, and a large proportion of the ectopic pregnancies occurring every year are due to the consequences of PID. Annually more than 150 women die from PID or its complications.

How do women get pelvic inflammatory disease?

PID occurs when bacteria move upward from a woman's vagina or cervix (opening to the uterus) into her reproductive organs. Many different organisms can cause PID, but many cases are associated with gonorrhea and chlamydia, two very common bacterial STDs. A prior episode of PID increases the risk of another episode because the reproductive organs may be damaged during the initial bout of infection.

Sexually active women in their childbearing years are most at risk, and those under age 25 are more likely to develop PID than those older than 25. This is because the cervix of teenage girls and young women is not fully matured, increasing their susceptibility to the STDs that are linked to PID.

The more sex partners a woman has, the greater her risk of developing PID. Also, a woman whose partner has more than one sex partner is at greater risk of developing PID, because of the potential for more exposure to infectious agents.

Women who douche may have a higher risk of developing PID compared with women who do not douche. Research has shown that douching changes the vaginal flora (organisms that live in the vagina) in harmful ways, and can force bacteria into the upper reproductive organs from the vagina.

Women who have an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted may have a slightly increased risk of PID near the time of insertion compared with women using other contraceptives or no contraceptive at all. However, this risk is greatly reduced if a woman is tested and, if necessary, treated for STDs before an IUD is inserted.