Ways to prevent Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a disease that usually affects women.

Ladi, an undergraduate said she suffered lower abdominal pains with fever for some time before she went to the hospital. She said though she was shocked with the diagnosis of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), she was glad she was diagnosed early to receive treatment.

“I learnt some women only know they have it when they can’t have children,” she said.

Dr Adewumi Babatunde Enoch, a medical officer at the General Hospital Omu Aran, Kwara State, said the disease was an infection of the female reproductive organs.

“It usually occurs when sexually transmitted bacteria spread from your vagina to your uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries,” he said.

He said the disease was commonly caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia infections acquired during unprotected sex. It is “less common during instrumentation after abortion or child birth,” he added.

Sometimes bacteria can enter your reproductive tract when the normal barrier created by the cervix is disturbed such as after childbirth, miscarriage or abortion.

Experts at Mayo Clinic have said the disease often presents no signs or symptoms. “As a result, you might not realize you have the condition and get needed treatment. The condition might be detected later if you have trouble getting pregnant or if you develop chronic pelvic pain,” they said.

Dr Enoch said some of the signs and symptoms of the condition might include; pain in the lower abdomen, heavy vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odour, and abnormal uterine bleeding, especially during or after intercourse, or menstrual cycles.

Others are pain or bleeding during intercourse, fever, sometimes with chills, painful or difficult urination, nausea and vomiting and fever.

The experts said factors that might increase risk of pelvic inflammatory disease,

between include:

• Being a sexually active woman younger than 25 years old.

• Having multiple sexual partners.

• Being in a sexual relationship with a person who has more than one sex partner.

• Having sex without a condom.

• Douching regularly, which upsets the balance of good versus harmful bacteria in the vagina and might mask symptoms.

• Having a history of pelvic inflammatory disease or a sexually transmitted infection.

They said most experts now agree that having an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted does not increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease. “Any potential risk is generally within the first three weeks after insertion.”

Untreated pelvic inflammatory disease causes complications. The medical experts said the disease could cause complications such as scar tissue and developing collections of infected fluid (abscesses) in your fallopian tubes, which could damage your reproductive organs.

The experts said other complications might include:

• Ectopic pregnancy PID is a major cause of tubal (ectopic) pregnancy. In an ectopic pregnancy, the scar tissue from PID prevents the fertilized egg from making its way through the fallopian tube to implant in the uterus. Ectopic pregnancies can cause massive, lifethreatening bleeding and require emergency medical attention.

• Infertility

PID might damage your reproductive organs and cause infertility — the inability to become pregnant. The more times you’ve had PID, the greater your risk of infertility. Delaying treatment for PID also dramatically increases your risk of infertility.

Chronic pelvic pain

Pelvic inflammatory disease can cause pelvic pain that might last for months or years. Scarring in your fallopian tubes and other pelvic organs can cause pain during intercourse and ovulation.

Tubo-ovarian abscess

PID might cause an abscess — a collection of pus — to form in your uterine tube and ovaries. If left untreated, you could develop a lifethreatening infection.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) can be diagnosed through history and physical examination, speculum examination, microscopy, culture, sensitivity and ultrasound.

Dr Enoch said it could be prevented through safe sex practices, contraception especially condom use, test and treat your partner for sexually transmitted diseases and avoid douching.

He advised women and girls against douching regularly, saying it upsets the balance of good versus harmful bacteria in the vagina and might mask symptoms.

The medical expert said it was important for people suffering from the disease to visit a doctor for treatment, adding that it could be treated with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor.