(Saturday, 28th Feb, 2015)
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a serious infection that affects a woman's uterus (womb), fallopian tubes, ovaries, and/or surrounding tissues. It is usually caused by untreated sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but it can also follow a miscarriage, abortion, or childbirth.
PID can be acute (a disease of rapid onset usually with severe symptoms), or chronic (a disease of long duration). Acute PID can be extremely painful, while chronic PID may cause only recurrent mild pain.
Symptoms can include:
If you notice any of these symptoms, in either you or your female partner, seek medical advice.
PID is diagnosed following a pelvic examination by your doctor. A sample of vaginal discharge may also be taken for analysis and in some cases, a laparoscopy may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis a laparoscopy is a minor surgical procedure carried out under anaesthesia during which a small incision is made in the abdomen to enable your doctor to view the internal pelvic structures. PID can be treated with antibiotics, although there is still a risk that there has been permanent damage to the reproductive organs making pregnancy difficult.
In theory, any woman can get PID. However the chances of you contracting it increase if:
Unfortunately it is a possibility. PID can result in an abscess in the fallopian tubes, which can cause scarring or blockage in the fallopian tubes. This can make it more difficult for the eggs and sperm to pass through the tubes, increasing the risk of infertility or an ectopic pregnancy (where the foetus develops outside the uterus (womb), such as in one of the fallopian tubes).
The best way to decrease the risk of developing PID is to prevent STDs, so have just one sexual partner who has sex only with you.
There are a number of additional measures that can reduce your chances of getting PID:
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