Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or PID is actually an infection of the pelvic organs of the women’s body. The pelvic organs of women include uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and cervix.

Causes

A woman can be infected with PID if the germs move from the vagina to the pelvic organs. Though many types of bacteria can cause PID; generally it is caused by two common sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea and Chlamydia. The bacteria can take up to months to move from the vagina to the pelvic organs. In fact, you can get infected with PID without a STI. No doctor, till date, has been able to pinpoint any reason for the occurrence of the disease.

How common is it?

More than 1 million women in United States are infected with PID. In fact 10% of the women become infertile because of this disease. Ectopic pregnancies also occur because of this disease.

Remember you can be a victim PID if you

• Had a STI
• Under 25 years of age and having sex
• Have more than 1 sex partner
• Practice douching as it can push the bacteria into the pelvic organs and thereby cause infection.
• Have an intrauterine device or IUD. In fact you should get treated for any known infection before accepting an IUD.

Symptoms

Many women are unaware of the PID as there no known symptoms. However, the most commonly accepted symptom is a pain in the stomach area. The other symptoms would include:

• Fever
• Vaginal discharge
• Painful sex
• Painful urination
• Irregular monthly bleeding
• Pain in the upper right abdomen

If the PID is caused by gonorrhea then there will be severe pain and extreme high temperatures.

Diagnosis

If you have any pain in the stomach or abdomen region, then you should consult a doctor right away. The doctor will do a physical exam to pinpoint the problem. This will also include a pelvic exam. The normal checks will include – abnormal discharge from vagina or cervix, lumps near the ovaries and the fallopian tubes and pain in the pelvic organs. The doctor may also prescribe additional tests such as sonogram and uterine biopsy.