Treatment:

Your doctor will often start you on antibiotics while waiting for your test results.

If you are diagnosed with milder PID, you will usually be given an antibiotic injection or shot, and then sent home with antibiotic pills to take for up to 2 weeks. You will need to closely follow up with your health care provider.

More severe cases of PID may require you to stay in the hospital. Antibiotics are first given by IV, and then later by mouth. Which antibiotic is used depends on the type of infection.

A number of different antibiotics may be used for treating this type of infection. Some are safe in pregnant women. See gonorrhea or chlamydia for specific treatment recommendations.

Sexual partners must be treated to prevent passing the infection back and forth. You and your partner must finish all of the antibiotics. Use condoms until you both have finished taking your antibiotics.

Complicated cases that do not improve with antibiotics may need surgery.

Complications:

PID infections can cause scarring of the pelvic organs, possibly leading to:

• Chronic pelvic pain
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Infertility

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if:

• You have symptoms of PID
• You think you have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease
• Treatment for a current STD does not seem to be working