Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

• PID stands for pelvic inflammatory disease, a serious infection of a woman's reproductive organs — the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.
• PID is usually a result of an untreated case of gonorrhea or chlamydia, although there are other, less common bacteria that can cause it too.
• More teens get PID than any other age group.
• 1 to 2 out of 10 women with PID will become sterile (unable to have children).
• Most tubal pregnancies are caused by PID scarring.
• PID can cause women to have pain in their lower abdomen for years after the infection is gone.
• Having PID once increases the risk of having it again because the body’s defenses are often damaged during the first infection.

The bacteria that cause PID usually live in the cervix, vagina, penis and anus.
You can get the bacteria that cause PID by having vaginal sex or anal sex with an infected person.

The most common symptom of PID is dull pain or tenderness in the lower abdomen. Other possible symptoms include:

• Bleeding between menstrual periods.
• Increased or changed vaginal discharge.
• Pain during sex.
• Nausea and/or vomiting.
• Fever and chills.

Still, PID can cause serious, permanent damage even when it is completely painless.
Many women have no symptoms or symptoms too mild to notice.

The infection can only be diagnosed through a pelvic exam and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing.
It is recommended, as with all sexual health problems, that you be as honest as possible with your health care provider about your sexual history, so that he/she may better diagnose the condition.

• If caught early enough, PID can be treated with antibiotics, bed rest, and sexual abstinence.
• If left untreated, you may need to be put in the hospital and given antibiotics directly into the bloodstream. There may be internal scarring or abscesses which will have to be surgically removed.
• Always be sure to take the antibiotics exactly as you are told, because incomplete treatment can make PID even worse. Symptoms may go away long before the bacteria are totally killed. And remember, you may not have symptoms that you can notice at all.
• Douches will not help and very likely will make the infection worse by helping to spread mare bacteria through the cervix and into the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
• Be sure anyone you have had sex with is tested and treated.

Not having sex is the best way to protect yourself from any sexually transmitted infection. If you do decide to have sex, plan your sexual relationships safely and responsibly. Have sex with only one partner who will only have sex with you. Always use a condom. Condoms provide good protection from getting PID.

Call us at West Suburban Teen Clinic if you have any questions about PID or any other topics that affect teens and young adults. We are here to help.