Feminine series 2. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)‏

Dear readers, we continue our exposé on the issues surrounding women's health, especially infections.

Most women have heard about infections that could make a woman unable to get pregnant.
PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease) is chief amongst them.

What is PID?
It is a serious complication of many sexually transmitted infections that affect women. It can result in irreversible damage to the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes if left untreated.
PID is the single most important preventable cause of female infertility.
It does not affect males for obvious reasons however infections that result in PID are sexually transmitted.
PID can cause blockage of the fallopian tubes resulting in infertility, ectopic pregnancies (pregnancy outside the womb) and chronic pelvic pain

How common is PID?
Unfortunately PID continues to affect an increasing number of young women.
Each year, more than 100,000 women in the USA become infertile as a result of PID.
The rate of infection is higher among teens and young adults.

What causes PID?
1. Untreated gonorrhea and/or chlamydia ( we will discuss these further in the next write-ups)
2. Unsafe abortions

Symptoms
1. Fever
2. Lower abdominal pain
3. Painful urination
4. Pain during sex
5. Itching
6. Vaginal discharge : yellowish/greenish with foul smell

Risk factors
1. Multiple sexual partners
2. Douching. A practice among many women of washing out the vagina with water and chemicals which destroys the "good" bacteria (normal flora) exposing the internal organs to harmful bacteria. More to come on this subject in latter articles.
3. Sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea

Diagnosis
Ensure to see a doctor if you observe any of the above symptoms. The doctor will obtain a detailed sexual history and conduct a series of tests on blood and vaginal discharge specimens. Ultrasound and laparoscopy could also be done.

Treatment
Antibiotics alone are used for mild cases while surgery may be required in addition to antibiotics when there is a collection of pus in the affected organs.
Surgery may involve removal of the uterus (Hysterectomy)

PID is completely preventable
1. Use condoms
2. Get regular gynaecological checks.
3. Seek prompt medical evaluation if you notice any of the symptoms
4. Don't self medicate!

Dr .T Adetiba 

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