Pelvic inflammatory disease, sometimes called PID, is a progressive (meaning it becomes worse over time) infection of the fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, or ovaries. Most girls develop PID as a result of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as chlamydia or gonorrhea.
In the United States, each year more than a million women will develop PID, with the highest infection rate amongst teenagers. Teen girls with multiple partners and those who don't use condoms are most likely to get STDs and are at risk for PID. If PID goes untreated, it can lead to internal scarring that can result in chronic pelvic pain, infertility, or a tubal pregnancy.
What Are the Symptoms of PID?
PID can cause severe symptoms or very mild to no symptoms. Teens who do have symptoms however, may experience:
- pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen
- large amounts of foul-smelling or abnormally colored discharge
- pain during sexual intercourse
- heavier than normal periods
- more painful periods with more cramps than usual
- spotting between periods
- chills, fever, and vomiting
- increased tiredness
- loss of appetite
- backache and perhaps even difficulty walking
- painful or more frequent urination
What Can Happen if You Get PID?
Any teen girl with symptoms of an STD should get medical care as soon as possible. An untreated STD has a greater chance of becoming PID.
If it is not treated or goes unrecognized, the PID can continue to spread through a girl's reproductive organs and may lead to long-term reproductive problems:
- PID can cause scarring in a girl's ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus, and widespread scarring may lead to infertility (the inability to have a baby). A teen girl or woman who has had PID three times (or more) has an almost 50% chance of being infertile.
- If someone who has had PID does get pregnant, scarring of the fallopian tubes may cause the fertilized egg to implant in one of the fallopian tubes rather than in the uterus. The fetus would then begin to develop in the tube, where there is no room for it to keep growing. This is called an ectopic pregnancy. An untreated ectopic pregnancy could cause the fallopian tube to burst suddenly, which might lead to life-threatening bleeding in a pregnant woman.
- Untreated PID also puts a woman at risk for a tubo-ovarian abscess (TOA). A TOA is a collection of bacteria, pus, and fluid that occurs in the fallopian tube. It is most often seen in teens. A TOA is also more likely to occur in teens or adult women who use intrauterine devices (IUDs) as birth control. A teen girl with a TOA often looks sick and has a fever and pain that makes it difficult to walk. The abscess will be treated in the hospital with antibiotics, and surgery may be needed to remove it.
