Complications of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Complications list for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease:
The list of complications that have been mentioned in various sources
for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease includes:
See also the symptoms of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Introduction.
Complications and sequelae of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease from the Diseases Database include:
Source: Diseases Database
See also the symptoms of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease: Introduction.
Complications of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease:
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID (Excerpt)
More than 100,000 women become infertile
each year as a result of PID, and a large proportion of the 70,000
ectopic (tubal) pregnancies occurring every year are due to the
consequences of PID. (Source: excerpt from Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID (Excerpt)
Women with recurrent episodes of PID are more likely than women
with a single episode to suffer scarring of the tubes that leads
to infertility, tubal pregnancy, or chronic pelvic pain.
Infertility occurs in approximately 20 percent of women who have
had PID.
Most women with tubal infertility, however, never have had
symptoms of PID. Organisms such as C. trachomatis can
silently invade the fallopian tubes and cause scarring, which
blocks the normal passage of eggs into the uterus.
A women who has had PID has a six-to-tenfold increased risk of
tubal pregnancy, in which the egg can become fertilized but cannot
pass into the uterus to grow. Instead, the egg usually attaches in
the fallopian tube, which connects the ovary to the uterus. The
fertilized egg cannot grow normally in the fallopian tube. This
type of pregnancy is life-threatening to the mother, and almost
always fatal to her fetus. It is the leading cause of
pregnancy-related death in African-American women.
In addition, untreated PID can cause chronic pelvic pain and
scarring in about 20 percent of patients. These conditions are
difficult to treat but are sometimes improved with surgery.
Another complication of PID is the risk of repeated attacks of
PID. As many as one-third of women who have had PID will have the
disease at least one more time. With each episode of reinfection,
the risk of infertility is increased.
Prevention
Women can play an active role in protecting themselves from PID
by taking the following steps:
- Signs of discharge with odor or bleeding between cycles
could mean infection. Early treatment may prevent the
development of PID.
- If used correctly and consistently, male latex condoms will
prevent transmission of gonorrhea and partially protect against
chlamydial infection.
Research
Although much has been learned about the biology of the
microbes that cause PID and the ways in which they damage the
body, there is still much to learn. Scientists supported by the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) are
studying the effects of antibiotics, hormones, and substances that
boost the immune system. These studies may lead to insights about
how to prevent infertility or other complications of PID. Topical
microbicides and vaccines to prevent gonorrhea and chlamydial
infection also are being developed. Clinical trials are in
progress to test a suppository containing lactobacilli – the
normal bacteria found in the vaginas of healthy women. These
bacteria colonize the vagina and may be associated with reduced
risk of gonorrhea and bacterial vaginosis, both of which can cause
PID.
Rapid, inexpensive, easy-to-use diagnostic tests are being
developed to detect chlamydial infection and gonorrhea. A recent
study conducted by NIAID-funded researchers demonstrated that
screening and treating women who unknowingly had chlamydial
infection reduced cases of PID by more than 60 percent. Meanwhile,
researchers continue to search for better ways to detect PID
itself, particularly in women with "silent" or asymptomatic PID.
(Source: excerpt from
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Statistics, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID (Excerpt)
Following PID, scarring will cause approximately 20 percent of
women to become infertile, 18 percent to develop chronic pelvic
pain, and 9 percent to have ectopic pregnancies. (Source: excerpt from Sexually Transmitted Diseases Statistics, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Symptoms: Book Excerpts
Complication statistics for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease:
The following are statistics from various sources
about the complications of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease:
- PID causes 15% of infertility cases in the US (American Social Health Association)
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease as a symptom:
For a more detailed analysis of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease as a symptom, including causes, drug side effect causes, and drug interaction causes, please see our Symptom Center information for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
About complications:
Complications of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease are secondary conditions, symptoms, or other disorders that are
caused by Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.
In many cases the distinction between symptoms of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and complications
of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease is unclear
or arbitrary.
If you are suffering from abnormal bleeding, you may have submucus fibroid tumors. These tumors can cause severe cramping, fatigue, heavy menstrual...
For many doctors, hysteroscopy represents a great leap forward in gynecology. Others have been slower to embrace this new technology. What should...
For many women, any gynecologic procedure is an unattractive prospect, and something with a name like "hysteroscopy" sounds downright frightening. In...
If you are suffering from abnormal bleeding, you may have submucus fibroid tumors. These tumors can cause severe cramping, fatigue, heavy menstrual...
See full list of 4 related videos
» Next page: Misdiagnosis of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Rate This Website
What do you think about the features of this website?
Take our user survey and have your say:
Website User Survey
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Forums & Message Boards
- Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
