Diagnosis
No single test can diagnose pelvic inflammatory disease. (3p2) Instead, your healthcare professional will rely on:
- Your medical history. This includes your sexual habits, sexually transmitted infections you've had and the birth control you use.
- Your symptoms. Tell your healthcare professional about any symptoms you have, even if they're mild.
- A pelvic exam. During the exam, your healthcare professional checks your pelvic area for tenderness and swelling. Your healthcare professional also may use cotton swabs to take fluid samples from your vagina and cervix. A lab tests the samples for signs of infection.
- Blood and urine tests. These can test for pregnancy, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. They also can measure white blood cell counts or other markers of infection.
- Ultrasound. This test uses sound waves to make images of the reproductive organs.
If the diagnosis still isn't clear, you may need other tests, such as:
- Laparoscopy. During this procedure, a healthcare professional puts a thin, lighted tube through a small cut, called an incision, in the belly to view the pelvic organs.
- Endometrial biopsy. During this procedure, a healthcare professional puts a thin tube into the uterus to remove a small sample of its lining, called endometrial tissue. A lab tests the tissue for signs of infection.
Pelvic exam
For a pelvic exam, a healthcare professional puts two gloved fingers inside the vagina. Pressing down on the belly at the same time, the healthcare professional can check the uterus, ovaries and other pelvic organs.
Treatment
Fast treatment with medicine can get rid of the infection that causes pelvic inflammatory disease. But there's no way to fix scarring or other damage to the reproductive tract that PID can cause. Treatment for PID most often includes:
- Antibiotics. Your healthcare professional prescribes a mix of antibiotics to start right away. After getting your lab test results, your healthcare professional might change your prescription to better match what's causing the infection.
Follow up with your healthcare professional after three days to make sure the treatment is working. Be sure to take all your medicine, even if you start to feel better after a few days.
- Treatment for your partner. To prevent getting infected again with an STI, your sexual partner or partners should be checked and treated. Infected partners might not notice any symptoms.
- No sex. Don't have sexual intercourse until you complete treatment and your symptoms have cleared.
If you are pregnant, are very ill, might have an abscess or haven't responded to medicines that you take by mouth, you may need to go to a hospital. You may get antibiotics through a vein in your arm, called intravenous. Then you get antibiotics to take by mouth.
Surgery is rarely needed. But if an abscess bursts or threatens to burst, your healthcare professional might drain it. You also may need surgery if you don't respond to antibiotic treatment.
Coping and support
Pelvic inflammatory disease can cause distress. You may be dealing with the diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection. You may have ongoing pain or find that you can't have children. Try these tips to help you cope with your diagnosis:
- Get treatment. A sexually transmitted infection most often causes PID. Having an STI may upset you, but you and your partner should both get treatment right away. Treatment can keep PID from getting worse and prevent getting the infection again.
- Be aware of infertility. If you've had pelvic inflammatory disease more than once, you're at greater risk of not being able to have children. If you've been trying to get pregnant without success, make an appointment to have your fertility checked. Ask your healthcare professional about infertility testing and treatment. Knowing about the process may help ease your concerns.
- Seek support. Sexual health, infertility and chronic pain may be very personal. But reach out to your partner, close family members or friends, or a healthcare professional for support. Many online support groups let you talk about your concerns without saying who you are.
Preparing for your appointment
If you have symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease, make an appointment to see your healthcare professional.
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment
What you can do
Make a list of:
- Any symptoms you have, and when they began.
- All medicines, vitamins and supplements you take, including dosages.
- Questions to ask during your appointment.
Some basic questions to ask include:
- What tests do I need?
- Is this a sexually transmitted infection?
- Should my partner be tested or treated?
- Do I need to stop having sex during treatment? How long should I wait?
- How can I keep from getting pelvic inflammatory disease again?
- Will this keep me from having children?
- Do you have printed materials that I can have? What websites do you suggest?
What to expect from your doctor
Be ready to answer questions, such as:
- Do you have a new sexual partner or more than one partner?
- Do you always use condoms?
- Do you have pelvic pain?
- How much do your symptoms bother you?
