Ladies Only: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic inflammatory Disease (PID) is an infection of the organs of the female reproductive system, including the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and cervix. This infection can be caused by many bacteria types; however it is commonly acquired during unprotected sex. Less commonly, however, bacteria can enter one’s reproductive tract anytime the normal barrier the cervix creates is disturbed- it can occur after miscarriage, childbirth or even abortion.

The development of PID can further be necessitated by the spread of a sexually transmitted disesase (STDs). This goes to say that young women who are sexually active with multiple sex partners stand a greater risk of contacting the disease.

Young ladies are not exempt from this as studies have shown that PID is most common in women between the ages 15 to 24.

Signs and symptoms include; pain in the lower abdomen and pelvis, vaginal discharge producing unpleasant odor, intense pain and bleeding during intercourse, presence of chills with fever, difficult and painful urination, abnormal severe bleeding during menstrual cycle, among others. Sometimes, the symptoms could be mild or none at all.

It is very common and its consequence is highly detrimental. If not treated, it can lead to ectopic pregnancy (where scar tissus from the infection prevent the fertilized egg from implanting on the uterus through the fallopian tube; often resulting in life threatening bleeding that would require immediate medical attection), infertility (the inability to become pregnant; the higher you have PID, the higher your risk of infertility), chronic pelvic pain (leading to severe pain during ovulation and intercourse) as well as turbo-ovarian abscess (collection of pus in the uterine tubes and ovaries leading to the development of a life threatening infection).

Please seek urgent medical care if symptoms like severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, high fever or foul smelling vaginal discharge persists. Whenever all these and more occurs or become noticed, all sexual activities should be stopped.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is real. Self medication is dangerous. Ignorance is not an excuse. More awareness should be created as to its symptoms and treatment. Tell a friend to tell a friend!