Do you know enough about pelvic inflammatory disease to protect yourself against it? Learn about how you can contract this pelvic infection, find out the symptoms and the ways it can be treated. Educate yourself and stay healthy!
What is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease?
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a chronic infection that affects the uterus (womb), the fallopian tubes and the ovaries. It is usually caused by a sexually transmitted disease, specifically chlamydia and/or gonorrhea. PID can be life threatening if left untreated.
Who is Most at Risk of Developing PID?
Certain factors increase a woman’s chances of developing PID. Pelvic inflammatory disease is most common in sexually active women of childbearing age, especially females between the ages of 15 and 25. It is less likely to develop in women over 25 years of age. The reason for this is that the cervix of young women is not yet fully matured as an older woman’s is, therefore their susceptibility to catching an STD is higher.
Multiple sex partners also increase the risk of developing PID. And the more partners the other person has (or had in the past), increases the risk even more because there is a higher degree of exposure.
Past infections are also a factor as are the effects of douching. Research has shown that douching is not very healthy for women to do as it alters the vaginal flora (organisms that live in the vagina naturally) in bad ways and can actually push harmful bacteria in the vagina into the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. As a result of this, women who douche tend to have a higher risk of developing PID. Another reason douching is not good is that it often masks signs of an infection and therefore the woman doesn’t seek treatment for a problem she is unaware she has.
Using an Intrauterine Device (IUD) has also been shown to put a woman at higher risk of contracting pelvic inflammatory disease. But the risks for women using this contraceptive method is lowered when a woman is tested, and if it is necessary, treated, for a sexually transmitted disease before the IUD is inserted.
Symptoms or Signs of PID
Pelvic inflammatory disease does not always show symptoms and when it does, they can range from mild to severe. If chlamydia is the cause of PID often there are no symptoms at all. With that in mind, PID can still be extremely detrimental to a woman’s health. Serious damage can occur to the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes if the disease is not found and treated at an early stage. If pain is present it generally occurs in the lower portion of the abdomen and will most likely affect both sides of the body. Some women experience upper abdominal pain as well as lower back pain.
Other symptoms that often can occur in sufferers of pelvic inflammatory disease include pain during intercourse, a high fever, irregular menstrual bleeding, an unusual vaginal discharge that may have a foul smelling odor, painful urination and pain experienced during a pelvic exam. A small percentage of women affected by PID will develop fallopian tubes that are scarred. The scarring could cause future problems with conceiving a child but this is rare.
Seeking Medical Attention for PID
Pelvic inflammatory disease is difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are often mild or even non-existent. Sometimes the infected woman as well as her doctor will attribute the symptoms to another cause. In order to diagnose PID correctly, a pelvic exam must be performed, and a swab of the cervix must be taken. A doctor will also test for gonorrhea and chlamydia and check for any abnormal cervical or vaginal discharge. The doctor may order a pelvic ultrasound if he/she deems it necessary. The ultrasound will show whether or not an infection is present or if the fallopian tubes are enlarged. A minor surgical procedure called a laparoscopy is sometimes undertaken when PID is suspected. This procedure involves the insertion of a thin tube with a light at the end of it (that is the laparoscope) into the lower abdomen. This gives the surgeon the ability to view at close range the internal pelvic organs as well as take tissue samples to send off to the lab.
Treatment for PID
Pelvic inflammatory disease is treated with antibiotics. Generally oral antibiotics are given to the patient for a period of ten to fourteen days. Sometimes two different types of antibiotics are given at the same time, as this kind of infection is very difficult to get rid of. Some doctors give their patients an injection of antibiotics before putting them on oral antibiotics. In cases of severe infection patients must be hospitalized and treated intravenously. Follow up visits must then take place after the person has been released from the hospital. Unfortunately any damage to reproductive organs that occurred before treatment was undertaken cannot be reversed. That is why early detection is so important. Infertility can occur as a result of this pelvic infection as well as the high risk of an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs in the fallopian tubes. These kind of pregnancies can be life threatening.
While a woman is taking antibiotics for PID she must refrain from sexual intercourse and make sure her partner is checked for STD’s (and treated if necessary). She may need to take painkillers and not just antibiotics and should get as much bed rest as possible. Her body needs time to heal itself and build back up.
Prevention of PID
The best way to prevent pelvic inflammatory disease is to limit one’s number of sexual partners because as previously mentioned, sexually transmitted diseases (especially chlamydia and gonorrhea) are the most common causes of this pelvic infection. A long-term monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested for disease and is deemed uninfected is very important. Using condoms and practicing safe sex in every way possible also makes a big difference. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommends that all sexually active young women aged 25 and under be screened yearly for sexually transmitted infections. As well any woman who has multiple sexual partners or has recently come in contact with a new partner should make it a must to be tested on a regular basis.