Pelvic inflammatory disease PID is infection of the reproductive organs of women. This may include infection of. PID can cause severe illness in a woman, requiring treatment in hospital. However, sometimes PID can occur without causing any signs or symptoms. That is, the woman may not feel sick and may not notice any change in her body. PID is a very serious disease because it can lead to long term problems. PID is one of the leading causes of infertility in women.
Women who have had PID may have difficulty becoming pregnant and if they do become pregnant, there may be problems with the pregnancy. If you have symptoms suggestive of an STI or think you may have been exposed to one, you should seek medical attention immediately.
If you have recently been treated or are being treated for an STI, you must make sure your sex partner s also receives treatment in order to prevent getting infected again. Sex partners should receive treatment even if they do not have any symptoms. If you or your partner have more than one sexual partner and do not use condoms, have regular sexual health checkups. If you think you may have been at risk of getting a sexually transmissible infection, you may be at risk of having PID.
Have a sexual health check to be sure. If you find out that you do have PID, anyone you have had sex with in the past few months will need to be tested and treated also. This is to make sure that they are cleared of the infection and to prevent you from getting the infection again and needing treatment all over again.
If you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about telling your partner or partners, the doctor or nurse can contact them. This is a confidential process and your name will not be mentioned.
