Get the App
For Doctors
Login/Sign-up
Last Updated: Oct 23, 2019
BookMark
Report
Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection and inflammation of a woman's pelvic organs including the uterus (womb), Fallopian tubes (tubes), ovaries, and cervix.
- PID is very common and is estimated to affect around 1 million women every year in the US.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease usually develops as the result of spread of a sexually-transmitted disease (STD).
- Most cases of pelvic inflammatory disease are caused by gonorrhea and/or Chlamydia, although several different types of bacteria can be responsible.
- Young, sexually active women with multiple sex partners are at greatest risk for pelvic inflammatory disease. Douching and a history of PID are other risk factors.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease many not produce any symptoms or signs (referred to as being asymptomatic). In other cases it can cause
- fever,
- abdominal or pelvic pain,
- vaginal discharge,
- painful urination, or
- painful sexual intercourse.
- The treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease involves antibiotics directed against the organisms responsible for the disease.
- Complications of untreated pelvic inflammatory disease can include scarring of the pelvic organs and infertility.
- Pelvic inflammatory disease can be life-threatening in severe cases.