Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
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?
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.
Next: What are the complications of pelvic inflammatory disease?
How is pelvic inflammatory disease diagnosed? »
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