What are the symptoms of a pelvic infection

Q: What causes pelvic infection?

Most cases of PID are caused by a bacterial infection thats spread from the vagina or the cervix to the reproductive organs higher up. Many different types of bacteria can cause PID. In many cases, its caused by a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea.

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Condition Basics
What is pelvic inflammatory disease?
What causes it?
What are the symptoms?
How is it diagnosed?
How is pelvic inflammatory disease treated?
When to Call
Exams and Tests
Treatment Overview
How do you know if u have a pelvic infection?
What causes pelvic infection?
What can you do for a pelvic infection?
Can you have a pelvic infection without having an STD?

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Summary

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection and inflammation of the uterus, ovaries, and other female reproductive organs. It causes scarring in these organs. This can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic pain, abscesses, and other serious problems. PID is the most common preventable cause of infertility in the United States.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia, two sexually transmitted diseases, are the most common causes of PID. Other bacteria can also cause it. You are at greater risk if you:

Are sexually active and younger than 25
Have more than one sex partner
Douche

Some women have no symptoms. Others have pain in the lower abdomen, fever, smelly vaginal discharge, irregular bleeding, and pain during intercourse or urination. Doctors diagnose PID with a physical exam, lab tests, and imaging tests. Antibiotics can cure PID. Early treatment is important. Waiting too long increases the risk of infertility.

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Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) Fact Sheet (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Laparoscopy
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Pelvic laparoscopy - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Douching (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Condition Basics

What is pelvic inflammatory disease?

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of your uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. If it's not treated right away, PID can cause scars in the fallopian tubes. This can make it harder to get pregnant. It can also cause other long-term problems, like pelvic pain or tubal (ectopic) pregnancy.

What causes it?

PID is caused by bacteria. When the cervix is infected, bacteria from the vagina can more easily get into and infect the uterus and fallopian tubes. The most common causes of PID are gonorrhea and chlamydia, which are sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It may also be caused by other types of bacteria.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptom of PID is pain in the lower belly. It's often described as cramping or a dull and constant ache. It may get worse during bowel movements, during sex, or when you urinate. You may also have a fever, more vaginal discharge than usual, or irregular menstrual bleeding.

How is it diagnosed?

To diagnose PID, your doctor will ask about your symptoms and do a physical examination. You may have tests for common causes of PID and blood tests to check for signs of infection. Your doctor may also order an ultrasound to look for other possible causes of your symptoms.

How is pelvic inflammatory disease treated?

To treat PID, you will take antibiotics. If your infection was caused by a sexually transmitted infection, your sex partner(s) will also need to be treated. If PID is severe or you're pregnant, you may need to be treated in the hospital.

Prevention

Your risk of infertility increases each time you have PID, so it's important to prevent future infections. Use a condom each time you have sex. This can reduce your chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection that could lead to PID. Also avoid douching, which increases your risk for pelvic infections.

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Safer Sex

Symptoms

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.

You could also have:

Fever.
More discharge from the vagina than usual, or discharge that is yellow, brown, or green.
Irregular menstrual bleeding.

You may notice symptoms more during menstrual bleeding or the week after your period.

When to Call

Call your doctor now if you have belly pain and any of the following:

A positive home pregnancy test
Fever of 38.3°C (101°F) or higher
Pain or difficulty urinating

Call your doctor soon if you:

Have a dull pain, unusual cramping, or a feeling of pressure in your lower belly.
Have pain during sex, especially in the belly.
Have abnormal vaginal bleeding, bleeding between menstrual periods, or bleeding after sex or douching.
Have a vaginal discharge that is yellow or green or smells bad.
Need to urinate often or have pain, burning, or itching with urination for longer than 24 hours.
Think you may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection, or you have a sex partner who has symptoms, such as discharge, genital sores, or pain in the genital area.

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Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older

Exams and Tests

To diagnose PID, your doctor will ask about your lifestyle and symptoms. He or she will do a physical examination, including a pelvic examination. Your doctor may test you for the most common causes of PID, including chlamydia and gonorrhea. You may also have blood tests to look for signs of infection.

Your doctor may also order an ultrasound to see if there are other possible causes of your symptoms. An ultrasound may also show if there is damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus, or ovaries from PID.

The test results may take some time, so your doctor will treat you before the test results are ready. Treating PID early is important to prevent problems later on.

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Pelvic Exam
Pelvic Ultrasound

Treatment Overview

To treat PID, you will take antibiotics. Take them as directed. If you don't take all of the medicine, the infection may come back.

If your infection was caused by a sexually transmitted infection, your sex partner(s) will also need to be treated so you don't get infected again.

Do not have sex until both of you have finished your medicine.
See your doctor for follow-up to make sure that the treatment is working.

If you have a very bad case of PID or are also pregnant, you may need to stay in the hospital and get antibiotics through a vein (intravenous). Sometimes surgery is needed to drain a pocket of infection, or abscess.

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Antibiotics

Self-Care

Rest as much as possible until your symptoms start to get better (usually a few days). Take a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen, for pain. And don't have sex until your treatment is completed. Otherwise, there's a risk that the infection will come back.

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Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

Credits

Current as of: November 22, 2021

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Martin J. Gabica MD - Family Medicine
E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine
Kevin C. Kiley MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology

How do you know if u have a pelvic infection?

When signs and symptoms of PID are present, they most often include: Pain — ranging from mild to severe — in your lower abdomen and pelvis. Unusual or heavy vaginal discharge that may have an unpleasant odor. Unusual bleeding from the vagina, especially during or after sex, or between periods.

What causes pelvic infection?

Most cases of PID are caused by a bacterial infection that's spread from the vagina or the cervix to the reproductive organs higher up. Many different types of bacteria can cause PID. In many cases, it's caused by a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea.

What can you do for a pelvic infection?

Treatment for PID most often includes:.

Antibiotics. Your health care provider will prescribe a combination of antibiotics to start immediately. ... .

Treatment for your partner. To prevent reinfection with an STI , your sexual partner or partners should be examined and treated. ... .

Temporary abstinence..

Can you have a pelvic infection without having an STD?

You can also get PID without having an STI. Normal bacteria in the vagina can travel into a woman's reproductive organs and can sometimes cause PID. Sometimes the bacteria travel up to a woman's reproductive organs because of douching. Do not douche.