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Summary

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection and inflammation of the uterus, ovaries, and other female reproductive organs. It causes scarring in these organs. This can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic pain, abscesses, and other serious problems. PID is the most common preventable cause of infertility in the United States.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia, two sexually transmitted infections (STIs), are the most common causes of PID. Other bacteria can also cause it. You are at greater risk if you:

• Are sexually active and younger than 25
• Have more than one sex partner
• Douche

Some women have no symptoms. Others have pain in the lower abdomen, fever, smelly vaginal discharge, irregular bleeding, and pain during intercourse or urination. Doctors diagnose PID with a physical exam, lab tests, and imaging tests. Antibiotics can cure PID. Early treatment is important. Waiting too long increases the risk of infertility.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

• About Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Laparoscopy (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Pelvic laparoscopy - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Douching (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: ZY5301 Tablet vs Placebo for Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain After...
• Article: Association between cardiovascular health and pelvic inflammatory disease: Analyses of the...
• Article: Investigating possibilities for surveillance of long term chlamydia complications in the...
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Teenagers

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish