Just The Facts about Sexually Transmitted Infections

PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (PID)

What is it?

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive system, that is, the uterus (womb), fallopian tubes or ovaries. 

How do you get it?

PID is caused by bacteria spreading into the uterus from the vagina or cervix. The most common cause for it is from another sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea that is left untreated. PID can also occur after pelvic operations, a pregnancy, or in the first few weeks after an IUD (intra-uterine device for contraception) is put in.

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    PID is especially common if you are under 25 years old, have had a new sexual partner in the last three months and don’t always use condoms for sex.

Symptoms

Most of the time, the signs that you have PID are not very obvious, and sometimes there are no signs at all. This is why you must be extremely careful if you notice any of the following symptoms: cramping, pain or tenderness in the pelvic or lower abdominal (stomach) area, bleeding between periods, increased or different discharge from your vagina, pain when having sex, nausea and/or vomiting or a fever.

Is it serious?

Pelvic inflammatory disease can occasionally cause infertility (difficulty getting pregnant), ectopic pregnancy (a baby growing in a place outside the womb), or long-term pain. These things are more likely to happen if the treatment is late, so it’s important to get treated straight away.

How do you get tested?

If you have taken part in any sexual activity and notice any of the above symptoms of PID, you should visit your nurse, doctor or sexual health clinic to get tested as soon as possible. There is no one single test for PID. Health professionals  will rely on your symptoms and what is found on examination to decide if you have PID. Often the tests will not tell you the cause. 

Treatment

Luckily, if you treat it early, PID can be cured with antibiotics in the form of an antibiotic injection and a two-week course of antibiotic tablets. Finish your antibiotics, even if you feel better and the tests are all fine. If you have had the disease for a long time before you find it, you may have to be hospitalised in order to get the necessary treatment.


Prevention

Condoms used correctly every time you have sex from start to finish will provide protection from PID.

Telling your sexual partner/s

If you are diagnosed with PID, you’ll need to inform anyone you have had sexual contact with in the last three months. Your nurse, doctor or sexual health clinic can help you deal with this situation, or read our section on How to tell a partner about STIs?

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    You should avoid sex for two weeks from the start of your treatment. If this is not possible always use a condom, including for oral sex, until your treatment has been completed so you don't pass the infection on to someone else.


    If you have a sexual partner you should both be treated and avoid sex for two weeks from the start of your treatment and until one week after your sexual partner has been treated. If this is not possible always use a condom, including for oral sex, until your treatment and your sexual partners treatment has been completed.


    After treatment, you should have another sexual health check after three months to check the status of your sexual health. The complications of PID get worse if you get it again, so preventing it is important.

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