Overview
What Is PID?
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of a woman’s reproductive organs. It is often a complication of untreated sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, though other infections can cause it too.
About 1 in 8 women with a history of PID have difficulty getting pregnant. You can prevent PID if you know how to protect yourself.
Risk Factors
You Are More Likely to Get PID If You
- Have an STD and do not get treated
- Have more than one sex partner, or a partner who has other partners
- Have had PID before
- Are sexually active and aged 25 or younger
- Douche
- Use an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control
Symptoms
How Do I Know I Have PID?
There is no single test for PID; diagnosis is based on your medical history, a physical exam and other tests. Symptoms can be mild or absent. If you do have symptoms, you may notice:
- Pain in the lower abdomen
- Fever
- Unusual vaginal discharge with a bad odour
- Pain or bleeding during sex
- Burning when urinating
- Bleeding between periods
Treatment
Can PID Be Cured?
Yes — if diagnosed early, PID can be treated with antibiotics, but treatment will not undo damage already done to the reproductive system. Finish all of your medicine even if symptoms go away, make sure recent partners are tested and treated, and avoid sex until you have both finished treatment. You can get PID again if you are re-infected.
- Scar tissue and blocked fallopian tubes
- Ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the womb)
- Infertility
- Long-term pelvic or abdominal pain
Complications of untreated PID. Source: CDC, cdc.gov/sti.