Pelvic
Inflammatory Disease
What is pelvic inflammatory disease?
What causes pelvic inflammatory disease?
Are
there risk factors for PID?
What
are the symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease?
What
is the treatment for pelvic inflammatory disease?
Also
See:
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
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What is pelvic
inflammatory disease?
The most serious and
common complication of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among women is
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection of the upper genital
tract. PID can affect the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or other
related structures. Untreated, PID can lead to infertility, tubal (ectopic)
pregnancy, chronic pelvic pain, and other serious consequences.
What causes
pelvic inflammatory disease?
PID occurs when
disease-causing organisms migrate upwards from the vagina and cervix into
the upper genital tract. Many different organisms can cause PID, but most
cases are associated with gonorrhea and chlamydial infections, two very
common STDs. Scientists have found that bacteria normally present in the
vagina and cervix may also play a role.
Are there risk factors
for PID?
Women with sexually
transmitted diseases -- especially gonorrhea and chlamydia -- are at
greater risk of developing PID than other women; a prior episode of PID
increases the risk of another episode because the body’s defenses are
often damaged during the initial bout of upper tract infection.
-
Sexually active
teenagers are more likely to develop PID than are older women.
-
The more sexual
partners a woman has, the greater her risk of developing PID.
-
IUD insertion,
induced abortion, and other procedures during which instruments are
passed through the cervix into the uterus increase the risk of PID.
-
Recent data
indicate that women who douche once or twice a month are more likely to
have PID than those who douche less than once a month. Douching may
flush bacteria into the upper genital tract. Douching also may ease
symptoms of an infection, delaying effective treatment.
What are the symptoms of
pelvic inflammatory disease?
The major symptoms
of PID are lower abdominal pain and abnormal vaginal discharge. Other
symptoms such as fever, pain in the right upper abdomen, painful
intercourse, and irregular menstrual bleeding can occur as well. PID,
particularly when caused by chlamydia, may produce only minor symptoms or
no symptoms at all, even though it can seriously damage the reproductive
organs. Women with "atypical pelvic inflammatory disease" experience only
mild symptoms, unrecognized symptoms, or possibly, in many cases no
symptoms ("silent pelvic inflammatory disease"). This more indolent but
insidious form of pelvic inflammatory disease is less likely to be
detected compared to symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease, thus placing
unsuspecting women at increased risk of disease sequelae.
What is the treatment for
pelvic inflammatory disease?
Because culture
specimens from the upper genital tract are difficult to obtain and because
multiple organisms are usually responsible for an episode of PID, at least
two antibiotics are given so that they will be effective against a wide
range of infectious agents. The infection may still be present after the
symptoms are gone, so it is important to finish taking all of the
medicine, even if symptoms go away. Patients should be re-evaluated by
their physician 2 to 3 days after treatment is begun to be sure the
antibiotics are working to cure the infection. About one-fourth of women
with suspected PID must be hospitalized.
Many women with PID
have sex partners who have no symptoms. Because of the risk of reinfection,
however, sex partners should be treated. Even if they do not have
symptoms, they may be infected with organisms that can cause PID.
from
The Office On Women's Health - US Department of Health and Human Services
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