Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Symptoms
Pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, is an infection of a woman's pelvic organs,
uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Pelvic inflammatory disease can affect the fallopian tubes (the tubes that carry eggs from the ovary to the uterus, or womb). It can also involve the tissues in and near the uterus and ovaries.
Pelvic inflammatory disease can be treated and cured with antibiotics. If left untreated, PID can lead to serious problems like infertility (not being able to get pregnant), ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus), constant pelvic pain, and other problems.
Symptoms of Pelvic inflammatory disease
The symptoms of PID can range from none to mild to severe. When PID is caused by chlamydia, a woman may have no symptoms at all, or mild symptoms. Chlamydia itself often causes no symptoms, especially in women. Even with no symptoms, PID can cause serious damage to a woman's fallopian tubes, uterus, and ovaries.
Symptoms of PID can include:
- Pain in the lower belly area
- Fever
- Unusual vaginal discharge that may have a foul odor
- Painful sexual intercourse
- Irregular menstrual bleeding
- Pain during a pelvic exam
Many types of bacteria can cause PID. But, bacteria found in two common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) - gonorrhea and chlamydia - are the most frequent causes of PID. After being infected, it can take from a few days to a few months to develop PID.
Although rare, a woman can develop PID without having an STD. No one is sure why this happens, but normal bacteria found in the vagina and on the cervix can cause PID.
Sometimes a person may be too scared or embarrassed to ask for information or help. But, keep in mind most STDs are easy to treat. Early treatment of STDs is important. The quicker you seek treatment, the less likely the STD will cause you severe harm. And the sooner you tell your sex partners about having an STD, the less likely they are to spread the disease to others (because they can get treated).
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
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