Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a serious condition where a female’s reproductive organs become infected and inflamed. It can spread from one organ to the rest of the reproductive organs and affect the tissues around the organs as well.
Many women do not know about PID but it is quite common. It affects 1 million women in the United States a year and 250,000 are hospitalized due to the infection.
Causes
PID is most commonly caused by gonorrhea and Chlamydia, two bacterial sexually transmitted infections. The bacteria are transmitted through bodily fluids. Therefore, young sexually active women are the most at risk. However, women at any age can develop this infection. Also, women with multiple sex partners are at a higher risk as well as those that use an intrauterine device as a form of birth control.
Symptoms
PID is not easily diagnosed because the signs are not always apparent in many patients. These symptoms include:
- Severe pain in lower abdomen
- Fever, nausea and vomiting
- Irregular period
- Discharge from vagina
- Back pain
- Painful intercourse and urination
These symptoms are worse at the end of the menstrual cycle and the first few days after the cycle is over.
Why is PID so dangerous?
PID is an infection and infections get worse over time if not treated. The infection can destroy the tissue that makes up the female reproductive organs. This can cause severe scarring and chronic pain in the pelvic region. This infection can also make a woman infertile. The reproductive organs become inflamed. Therefore, eggs cannot move through the fallopian tubes efficiently and the sperm cannot fertilize it.
In some horrible cases, women have become pregnant. Unfortunately, the egg can become trapped in the fallopian tube or in another part of the reproductive area that it should not be. The sperm can sometimes get to the egg and it becomes fertilized. A small embryo will begin to grow in the small space and not survive the conditions. This is called an ectopic pregnancy. This can potentially rupture the fallopian tube and cause severe issues. It can cause internal bleeding and even death. Women cannot reproduce in this condition and are infertile.
PID needs to be treated as soon as possible by a healthcare professional. It is a serious disease and needs to be taken care of before it causes permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive organs.
Prevention
Since the infection is caused by bacteria that are transmitted through bodily fluids, the best prevention is abstinence.
However, if abstinence is not a person’s first choice, the use of protection, such as condoms, during sex is another option. Trying to prevent the spread of the bacteria will work as well, however, it is not 100 percent effective. THE PILL DOES NOT PREVENT SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES!
How important do you think it is for young women to be aware of PID as well as other reproductive infections?
Tags: Birth Control, condoms, contraception, Nausea, Pregnancy, Prevention, STD's, The Pill, Vomiting