Signs and symptoms

• Symptoms can range from one to severe.
• Lower abdominal pain
• Abnormal discharge from vagina
• Burning or pain while peeing
• Fever
• Painful vaginal intercourse
• Irregular menstruation

Transmission

• PID occurs when bacteria move up from a woman's vagina or cervix into the uterus and/or fallopian tubes.
• Gonorrhea and Chlamydia are the most common bacteria that cause PID.

Prevention

• Abstain from oral, anal and vaginal sex.
• Use condoms/barriers consistently and correctly during oral, anal or vaginal sex.
• Maintain a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested for STDs and is not infected.
• If you have an STD, get treated.
• If you have an STD, make sure your partners are treated.

Treatment

• See a health care provider for exam and tests to figure out the best treatment.
• Treatment is medicines (antibiotics) prescribed by a health care provider.
• Get a follow-up exam to make sure the treatment worked.
• Severe cases may require hospitalization.

If not treated...

• Permanent damage to reproductive organs
• Infertility
• Ectopic (tubal) pregnancy
• Chronic pelvic pain

If you have PID...

• Refrain from sex (oral, anal or vaginal sex) if you have symptoms.
• Seek medical care, including STD tests.
• Refrain from having sex until you have completed treatment.
• Take all medicines prescribed, even if your symptoms are gone.
• Re-test in 3 months.
• Make sure sex partners get treated.
• Get yearly STD screens if sexually active.
• If pregnant, get tested for STDs and HIV.