Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, otherwise known as PID is a disease that causes the organs of the female reproductive system to become inflamed because of a bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic infection/infestation that has moved upward past the cervix and into the reproductive organs. The most common cause for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is an undetected or untreated Sexually Transmitted Disease. The STDs that could cause PID include Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, HPV, and a host of others.

The Center for Disease Control states that every year, 750,000 (or more) experience Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, due to lack of medical attention and lack of knowing their own bodies enough to know that something is wrong. The statistics show that more than 150 women die each year from Pelvic Inflammatory Disease or its complications and more than 100,000 women become infertile because of PID. The symptoms of PID vary from severe to none at all. However, the most common symptom is lower abdominal pain. Other signs and symptoms can include fever, unusual vaginal discharge, painful intercourse and urination, and irregular menstruation periods.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is one of the leading causes of infertility. About 10-15% of women that have PID will become infertile. Infertility happens because untreated bacterial infections cause PID, in which case causes scar tissue formation, which blocks the Fallopian tubes. While sometimes there can be very little scar tissue and it can be treated with surgical procedures. In most cases however, it will cause infertility. The blocked or damaged Fallopian tubes prevent the egg from reaching the uterus therefore; the sperm cannot fertilize the egg.

A woman can have multiple "flare ups" of PID and with each instance, her risk of becoming infertile rise. About one in eight women become infertile because of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, and are