Many types of bacteria can cause PID. The bacteria found in two common sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea and chlamydia) are the most frequent causes. PID often develops from 2 days to 3 weeks after exposure to the bacteria, but it may take months to develop.
It may take upwards of a year for most people to develop PID, but others can develop it earlier, depending on the severity of the infection.
It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to develop PID if untreated gonorrhea or chlamydia is the cause.
Many women do not know they have PID because they do not have any signs or symptoms. When symptoms do happen, they can be mild or more serious.
PID often does not cause any obvious symptoms. Most symptoms are mild and may include 1 or more of the following: pain around the pelvis or lower tummy. discomfort or pain during sex that's felt deep inside the pelvis.
PID can occur at any age in women who are sexually active. It is most common among young women. Those younger than age 25 years are more likely to develop PID.
Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) - chlamydia, mycoplasma genitalium and gonorrhoea are the most common cause of PID. Use condoms with any new partner and get regular testing for STIs (at least once a year) can reduce your risk of PID.
Therefore PID can go unnoticed for years. Some women, however, have symptoms which may indicate PID such as: A change in vaginal discharge. Irregular periods, bleeding between periods or havingheavier periods than usual.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, or PID, is when part of a woman's reproductive system gets infected. This includes the uterus, Fallopian tubes, ovaries and even inside the lower belly (abdomen). About 1 million women get PID each year in the United States.
Conclusion: PID in virgin women is rare, but it should be considered in all women with abdominal pain, regardless of sexual history.
If it's diagnosed at an early stage, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can be treated easily and effectively with antibiotics. These can be prescribed by your GP or a doctor at a sexual health clinic. But left untreated, it can lead to more serious long-term complications.
Pain in the lower abdomen is the most common symptom of pelvic inflammatory disease. 2 The pain can feel like dull pressure or a more intense cramping-type pain. In chronic PID, the pain might be mild but is present all the time.
What are the symptoms of PID? It is possible for a woman to have PID and be asymptomatic (without symptoms), or symptoms too mild to notice, for an unknown period of time. PID can be misdiagnosed as appendicitis, ectopic pregnancy, ruptured ovarian cysts or other problems.
A pelvic ultrasound is a helpful procedure for diagnosing PID. An ultrasound can view the pelvic area to see whether the fallopian tubes are enlarged or whether an abscess is present. In some cases, a laparoscopy may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
Sometimes PID can lead to long-term (chronic) pain around your pelvis and lower abdomen, which can be difficult to live with and lead to further problems, such as depression and difficulty sleeping (insomnia). If you develop chronic pelvic pain, you may be given painkillers to help control your symptoms.
Risk factors
Being sexually active and younger than 25 years old. Having multiple sexual partners. Being in a sexual relationship with someone who has more than one sex partner. Having sex without a condom.
Sexually active women of childbearing age are most at risk for PID. The more sex partners a woman has, the higher her risk of getting PID. Women who are 25 or younger are more likely to get PID than those older than 25.
In some cases, a woman with PID will not have any symptoms and the inflammation will go away without medical treatment.
According to Dr. Joseph Doyle, “After one episode of PID, infertility from blocked fallopian tubes will occur in up to 12% of women. After two episodes, it will affect more than one third of women. With three episodes, up to 75% of women will have blocked fallopian tubes.”
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
The main cause of PID is through a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea or mycoplasma genitalium. These bacteria usually only infect the cervix, where they can be easily treated with antibiotics.
PID can permanently scar and damage the fallopian tubes, causing blockage of the tubes. About 12% of women suffer enough tubal damage from one episode of PID to become infertile. After three episodes of PID, the infertility rate reaches 50%.
PID can make getting pregnant harder, and 1 in 10 women with the condition become infertile. Bacteria that makes its way into the fallopian tubes can lead to inflammation, which causes scar tissue to form. And that scar tissue can create blockages in the tubes that make it harder for the sperm and egg to meet.
The most common symptom of PID is pain in the lower belly. The pain is often described as cramping or a dull and constant ache. It may be worse during sex, during bowel movements, or when you urinate.
Painful urination is most often a symptom of a bladder infection. If left untreated, a bladder infection can worsen and travel into your uterus or ovaries, causing pelvic inflammatory disease. If you are experiencing pain while urinating, your gynecologist will most likely test your urine for infection.