Dr. Madhu Chanda Das Sarkar

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, also known as PID, is characterized by an infection that occurs in a lady's reproductive organs. Usually this occurs as a result of a complications arising from a STD. The disease causes severe damage to the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the uterus. It is one of the bigger causes of infertility in women. 

Causes-

The cervix which is the entry to the uterus has the function of stopping bacteria that are present in the vagina from spreading to the other organs. Once infected by a STD, the cervix can no longer perform its function of preventing the bacteria from spreading to other organs. PID develops when the infection spreads from the cervix to the upper areas of the genital tract. 

There are certain factors which increase the chances of being affected by PID: 

1. Being sexually active 
2. Already affected by STDs such as gonorrhea 
3. Past history of PID 
4. Having multiple sexual partners 

Symptoms-

Women may experience pain while urinating and engaging in sexual intercourse, coupled with sore feeling in the stomach along with nausea. Abnormal vaginal discharge and a rise in body temperature are common symptoms as well. 

Treatment-
Once the disease has been diagnosed by a doctor, a treatment plan is devised. The treatment options that you can avail of are: 

1. Medications: If the symptoms are mild, then the doctor will prescribe antibiotic medications. Usually the antibiotics are administered by mouth unless the symptoms are severe, when the drugs are administered intravenously. Your partner would also require medications if you happen to be diagnosed with PID, so that he/she does not catch it. 
2. Surgery: Surgery is recommended by the doctor in case of tissue inflammation and the presence of pus (abscess). The aim of surgery is to get rid of the abscess to prevent any further infection. 

In addition to the treatment methods, there are certain precautionary measures that you can adopt to be safe: 

1. Have protected sex.
2. Try and stick to one sexual partner.
3. Visit your gynecologist for regular checkups.

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