What is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the upper reproductive organs: the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. It usually starts when bacteria, often from sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia or gonorrhea, travel up from the vagina and cervix. It is treated with antibiotics, and quick treatment lowers the risk of infertility.
Symptoms
PID can be mild or cause no symptoms at all, which is why it's easy to miss. When symptoms do appear, they may include:
- Pain or tenderness in the lower abdomen or pelvis
- Pain during sex, deep inside
- Bleeding between periods or after sex (metrorrhagia)
- Unusual discharge, especially yellow or green
- Pain when peeing, fever, nausea
Why treatment matters
PID can scar the fallopian tubes. That scarring raises the risk of infertility, ectopic pregnancy and long-term pelvic pain. The risk rises with each episode and with delayed treatment, so doctors start antibiotics as soon as PID is suspected, often before test results return.
Lowering the risk
- Use condoms with new or multiple partners.
- Get tested for STIs regularly, and after a new partner.
- Make sure partners are tested and treated too, to avoid reinfection.
- Finish the whole course of antibiotics.
Seek urgent care for severe lower abdominal pain, high fever, vomiting or fainting. If you could be pregnant and have pelvic pain, get checked the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Can PID go away on its own?
Sometimes symptoms settle, but the infection can keep damaging the tubes. Always get it treated.
Can you get pregnant after PID?
Most people can, especially after early treatment. Repeated or severe infections raise the chance of fertility problems.
Is PID always caused by an STI?
Not always. STIs cause many cases, but other bacteria normally found in the vagina can also be involved.
Sources
- NHS: Pelvic inflammatory disease
- ACOG: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- MedlinePlus: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
This page is for information only and isn鈥檛 medical advice. If something worries you, please talk to a doctor.
Keep reading
Fallopian tubes: definition and meaningThe fallopian tubes carry the egg from the ovary to the uterus and are where fertilization happens. What they do, and conditions that affect them.Infertility: definition and meaningInfertility means not getting pregnant after 12 months of regular unprotected sex, or 6 months if you're 35 or older. Causes, tests and next steps.What is an ectopic pregnancy?An ectopic pregnancy grows outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. The warning signs to know, why it's an emergency, and how it's treated.
Yellow discharge: when it's normal and when to get it checkedYellow discharge can be normal, especially pale yellow before your period. When darker, green, frothy or smelly yellow discharge means an infection to check.When should you see a doctor about your period?When to see a doctor about periods: very heavy bleeding, severe pain, bleeding between periods or after menopause, missed periods and more. A clear checklist.