What is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease?

This page was reviewed or revised on Saturday, October 26, 2002.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a serious infection of a woman's reproductive system. It is usually caused by two common sexually transmitted diseases: Gonorrhea and Chlamydia.

Symptoms of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia

Men
- pain when urinating (peeing)
- pus from the penis

Women
- strong smell from the vagina
- abnormal discharge from the vagina

But 4 out of 5 women and many men have no signs that they have an infection, so they don't get treated. Then gonorrhea and chalmydia germs continue to spread inside the body.

In women, these germs move from the vagina to the uterus and the fallopian tubes, causing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

PID can happen suddenly with painful symptoms, or develop slowly with hidden symptoms.

Some of the signs that a woman has PID

• pain in the lower abdomen (may be severe)
  
• a high temperature
  
• a strong smell from the vagina
  
• a discharge from the vagina that is different from normal discharge
  
• flu-like symptoms (chills, fever, achy feeling)
  
• pain in the lower back
  
• pain during or after intercourse
  
• bleeding from the vagina that is not her period

A woman who thinks she has PID should go to her doctor or nearest STD clinic right away.

PID is easily treated

A PID check-up usually takes only 30 minutes.

A woman with PID will need antibiotics to treat it. Sometimes she needs to stay in hospital. She could take all her pills and return to her doctor or STD clinic for a follow-up test to make sure the infection has been cured.

PID can cause serious damage

The gonorrhea and chlamydia germs that cause PID can start making trouble as soon as they enter the uterus or tubes. The germs may cause scars that permanently block the tubes. This stops a sperm from joining with an egg or ovum so a woman may never be able to become pregnant.

Sometimes the tubes are only partially blocked. A sperm may get through and fertilize an egg, but the embryo may get stuck in the tube and start growing there instead of in the uterus. This is called an "ectopic" or "tubal" pregnancy.

A woman who missed her period and thinks she is pregnant, and who has a sharp, continuing pain in the side of her abdomen, should contact her doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room. A tubal pregnancy can be dangerous, and may even cause death.

Untreated PID can also cause ongoing pain. If PID is left too long before it is treated it cannot be cured with antibiotics. A doctor may have to operate to take out the uterus. This is called a hysterectomy.

The faster PID is treated the less chance there is of serious damage

An Intra-Uterine Device (IUD) can increase the chances of getting PID. A woman with an IUD should be sure to have regular check-ups.

A woman with more than one sex partner has a higher chance of getting a STD. She should not use the IUD. She is better off using a barrier method like condoms and spermicide foam. Condoms and foam also help protect both men and women against AIDS.

The gonorrhea and chlamydia germs that cause PID in women can also permanently damage men. The germs can block the small tubes that connect the testicles with the penis, a sperm that is made in the testicles cannot pass through. So a man can have sex, and ejaculate ("come") but there won't be sperm to fertilize the woman's egg.