Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection that begins in the vagina and progresses affecting the uterus, as well as the tubes and ovaries, spreading over a large pelvic area, but which can still get worse and spread through the abdomen.
This disease mainly affects sexually active adolescents and young people, with several sexual partners, who do not use condoms and who maintain the habit of washing the vagina internally.
DIP can be classified according to its severity as:
- Stage 1: Inflammation of the endometrium and tubes, but without infection of the peritoneum; Stage 2: Inflammation of the tubes with infection of the peritoneum; Stage 3: Inflammation of the tubes with tubal occlusion or tube-ovarian involvement, and intact abscess; Stage 4: Ruptured ovarian tube abscess, or purulent secretion in the cavity.
Pelvic inflammatory disease can be considered a sexually transmitted disease, but it is not always, as it is often related to endometriosis, which is a disease in which the endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus. Learn more about Endometriosis.
Symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease
Pelvic inflammatory disease can be very subtle, and women are not always able to perceive its signs and symptoms, which does not diminish its severity, and which allows the microorganisms involved to continue to multiply, affecting tissues increasingly distant from the canal. vaginal. In some cases the following symptoms may appear:
- Fever equal to or greater than 38ºC; Pain in the belly, during palpation; Vaginal bleeding outside menstruation or after sexual intercourse; Yellowish or greenish vaginal discharge with a bad smell; Pain during intimate contact, especially during menstruation.
Read more about the symptoms at: Symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease.
Women who are more likely to develop this type of inflammation are those between 15 and 25 years of age, do not use condoms at all times, who have several sexual partners, and those who are in the habit of using the vaginal shower, which changes the vaginal flora facilitating the development of diseases.
What causes
Some situations that can cause a Pelvic Inflammatory Disease can be:
- Sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or others; Contamination with germs during delivery; Introduction of contaminated objects in the vagina during masturbation; Abortion; IUD placement less than 3 weeks ago; Endometrial biopsy or uterine curettage.
The diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease is not always easy, but it can be done through blood tests, pelvic or transvaginal ultrasound. In the blood test, some results that help to reach this diagnosis are C-reactive protein or high globular sedimentation speed, and gonococcal or chlamydia infection , which are among the main causes of PID.
Forms of Treatment
Treatment for pelvic inflammatory disease can be done using antibiotics orally or intramuscularly for about 14 days. In addition, rest is important, there is no intimate contact during treatment, not even with a condom to allow time for the tissues to heal, and the removal of the IUD, if applicable.
An example of an antibiotic for pelvic inflammatory disease is Azithromycin, but others, such as Levofloxacin, Ceftriaxone, Clindamycin or Ceftriaxone may also be indicated. When the patient does not improve in 3 days, she will possibly have to be admitted to the hospital.
During treatment it is recommended that the sexual partner also be treated even if he has no symptoms to avoid recontamination and surgery may be necessary to treat inflammation of the fallopian tubes or to drain abscesses. Find out more details of the Treatment of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
Infertility and ectopic pregnancy, in which the fetus grows outside the uterus, are the possible complications in some women who have chronic pelvic inflammatory disease.
