Treatment
According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health care providers should start treating sexually active young women and other women at risk for STIs if they have motion tenderness of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or cervix. Without adequate treatment, 20 to 40 percent of women with chlamydia and 10 to 40 percent of women with gonorrhea may develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).
Many different bacteria may cause an episode of PID. Therefore, your health care provider will prescribe antibiotics (generally two at once, by injection or by mouth) that are effective against a wide range of bacteria, including those causing chlamydia and gonorrhea. You should begin treatment as soon as your health care provider diagnoses PID because complications of the disease may be prevented with taking antibiotics immediately.
Women who douche may have higher risk of developing PID. Douching can change the vaginal flora (organisms that live in the vagina) and can force bacteria from the vagina into the upper reproductive organs.
Even if your symptoms go away, you should finish taking all of the medicine. You also should return to your health care provider 2 to 3 days after beginning the medicine to be sure the antibiotics are working.
Your health care provider may recommend going into the hospital to treat your PID if you
-
Are severely ill
-
Are pregnant
-
Do not respond to or cannot take oral medicine
-
Need intravenous (in the vein) antibiotics
-
Have an abscess (swelling) in your fallopian tube or ovary
If your symptoms continue or if an abscess does not go away, you may need surgery.
Complications of PID such as chronic pelvic pain and scarring are difficult to treat, but sometimes they improve with surgery.
Many sex partners may be infected with bacteria that cause PID and do not know it because they do not have symptoms. To protect yourself from being re-infected with bacteria that cause PID, you should discuss this with your health care provider.
For updated information on treatment for PID, read the CDC Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines.
back to top