PID stands for "pelvic inflammatory
disease". PID is a general term that
includes infections of the cervical canal
(endocervicitis), uterine
mucosa-endometrium (endometritis), tubes
(salpingitis), the tissue that surrounds
the uterus-parametrium (parametritis), the
ovaries (oophoritis) and the pelvic
peritoneum (pelveoperitonitis). PID is
used as a term because genital infections
are rarely located on only one of these
locations but usually affect all of them
at the same time or will affect all of
them in a short period of time. PID’s
major attributes follow:
1. PID is the most common disorder in
gynecology;
2. PID is a chronic-reoccurring condition,
and
3. IF not treated in time, PID can create
very bad consequences such as permanent
sterility.
PID mostly affects the women between 15
and 40 years old, especially adolescents.
Increased sexual activity, promiscuity and
not using condoms are risk factors for
getting PID.
PID can be caused by 2 types of
infections: exogenous and endogenous.
Exogenous infection is caused by microbes
that normally are not found in the vagina
but are imported via unprotected sex
(sexually transmitted). Chlamydia and
gonorrhea are the most common types of
exogenous PID.
Endogenous types of PID are caused by
microbes that are normally found in the
vagina but whose activity is normally
under the control of local immune
mechanisms in the vagina. In some
occasions (delivery, abortions,
injuries…) those microbes can escape the
control and cause infection.
Symptoms of the PID depend upon the
infective agent and part of the genital
system that is affected. Usual symptoms
are: vaginal discharge, spotting,
prolonged periods, low abdominal pain,
painful sex, fever etc. Sterility is a
late symptom due to the permanent damage
of the tubes and endometrium. Some types
of microbes (Chlamydia) don’t show any
symptoms or very poor symptoms but the
final consequences are the same-sterility.
Prognosis and treatment of PID depends
upon the infective agent, early-late
diagnosis and proper treatment.
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