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Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Definition:

Pelvic inflammatory disease is a general term for infection of the lining of the uterus, the fallopian tubes, or the ovaries.

See also: Endometritis

Alternative Names:

PID; Oophoritis; Salpingitis; Salpingo-oophoritis; Salpingo-peritonitis

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The majority of pelvic inflammatory disease cases are caused by the same bacteria that lead to sexually transmitted diseases (such as chlamydia , gonorrhea , mycoplasma, staph, strep).

Although the cause of PID most commonly spreads through sex, bacteria may also enter the body after gynecological procedures such as the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD), childbirth, miscarriage , therapeutic or elective abortion , and endometrial biopsy .

In the United States, nearly 1 million women develop PID each year. It is estimated that 1 in 8 sexually active adolescent girls will develop PID before reaching age 20. Since PID is frequently underdiagnosed, statistics are probably greatly underestimated.

Risk factors include:

• Sexual activity during adolescence
• Multiple sexual partners
• Past history of PID
• Past history of any sexually transmitted disease
• Insertion of an IUD

Birth control pills are thought in some cases to lead to cervical ectropion , a condition that allows easier access to tissue where bacteria may grow. However, birth control pills may protect against PID by stimulating the body to produce a thicker cervical mucous, which makes it harder for semen to carry bacteria to the uterus.

• Review Date: 9/19/2006
• Reviewed By: Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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