PID facts

What is PID

PID stands for pelvic inflammatory disease.

PID is a serious infection that is caused by bacteria moving up from the vagina through the cervix (the opening to the uterus), into the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. These bacteria cause inflammation, pain, and can cause scar tissue. PID is usually caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia, two types of sexually transmitted bacteria. It has also been linked to infections that are not sexually transmitted, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV). PID is the leading cause of infertility (loss of the ability to get pregnant).

How PID spreads

Most commonly, the bacteria that cause PID are passed from a penis to a vagina during vaginal sex. A person may be infected with gonorrhea or chlamydia without having any symptoms.

Symptoms of PID

You may have any of the following:

• Pain in the belly during sex
• Pain in the lower back
• Mild or severe pain in the lower belly
• Fever, chills, or vomiting
• Unusual bleeding or discharge from the vagina

How serious is PID

PID can cause:

• Scarring around uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. This can cause infertility (inability to get pregnant) and/or long-term pelvic pain.
• Pregnancy in the fallopian tubes, instead of the uterus (“ectopic” or “tubal” pregnancy). If this happens, emergency surgery is needed and fallopian tube(s) may be removed.

How to treat PID

• You will be given antibiotic medicines that treat gonorrhea and chlamydia (the most common infections that cause PID) and other vaginal infections such as bacterial vaginosis (BV).
• You may need to go to the hospital for treatment if your PID is severe.
• Be sure to return to the clinic or hospital for all your follow-up appointments to make certain the infection is getting better.
• Do not have sexual intercourse for at least 2 weeks, to allow your body to heal completely and to avoid spreading infection to someone else.
• Finish all your medications, even if you start to feel better before you’re done with them.
• Your sex partners should get checked and treated also or you could be infected again.

How to avoid getting PID

• Condoms are effective in reducing the risk of infection.
• Do not have sex if you or a sexual partner has symptoms of an STI, including discharge, burning with urination, rash, or genital sores.
• Avoid douching. Douching can increase the growth of harmful bacteria in the vagina, and it may push bacteria upward toward the uterus and fallopian tubes.

This information is provided by San Francisco City Clinic.

Visit our homepage at sf.gov/cityclinic.

Information last revised January 2024