Pelvic inflammatory disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Overview
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Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a bacterial infection. It affects the female reproductive system including the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Common Symptoms
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
When to See a Doctor
If your GP surgery or local sexual health clinic is nearby, it's worth speaking to them if:
- you have symptoms that sound like PID
- you're simply worried about what you're feeling
Getting tested for PID
If you think PID might be behind your symptoms, you can get checked free of charge by:
- booking an appointment at your local sexual health service
- contacting your GP practice for an appointment
What happens during a PID test?
There isn't one single test that can confirm PID on its own.
Your doctor or nurse will first talk through your symptoms with you before doing an internal examination. This shouldn't hurt, though you may feel some discomfort during it.
While examining you, they'll be checking for tenderness in your pelvic area and any unusual vaginal discharge.
Usually, the doctor will take swabs from inside your vagina and cervix, which are then sent to a lab for testing. That said, a swab result alone isn't enough to rule PID in or out, since some women who do have PID still get a negative swab result.
You may also be given an ultrasound scan. Scans tend to pick up severe PID but often miss milder cases, so it's entirely possible to have a normal scan result and still be dealing with PID.
Treatment
If it's diagnosed early, oral antibiotics will treat PID. You'll probably need to take these for at least 2 weeks.
In more severe cases, you may need to be admitted to hospital for observation and treatment with antibiotic injections.
Always see your doctor or nurse if you think you might have PID, because the sooner you're treated, the better. If you're given treatment, always make sure you take all of your antibiotics and finish the entire course.
Your partner or partners should also be treated, and you should avoid sex until your treatment is completed.
How PID is passed on
Most cases of PID are caused by a bacterial infection that spreads from the vagina or the cervix to the reproductive organs higher up.
Many different types of bacteria can cause PID. However, most cases result from a chlamydia or gonorrhoea infection.
In some cases, the cause of the infection that leads to PID is unknown. Such cases may be the result of normally harmless bacteria found in the vagina. These bacteria can sometimes get past the cervix and into the reproductive organs.
Prevention
Practising safer sex is the best way to lower your risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This means using a condom every time you have vaginal, anal or oral sex.
Getting tested for STIs
If you've been diagnosed with PID, it's important to get tested for STIs as well, including:
- chlamydia
- gonorrhoea
- syphilis
Complications
If PID isn't treated in time, it can lead to serious problems such as:
- pus-filled abscesses in the pelvis
- long-lasting or repeated pelvic pain
- reduced fertility or difficulty conceiving
- ectopic pregnancy