Why Should You Be Concerned About PID?

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) has been a worldwide disease that can occur frequently in women. PID is an inflammation of a woman's upper reproductive tract, including the structures of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes.In the early 1990s, the self-reported frequency of PID in women was approximately one in nine.

Worldwide, PID is one of the leading causes of ectopic pregnancy and preventable infertility in women. In 1988, a study estimated that the cost of preventable infertility in the US was in the vicinity of $64 billion, and it is probably substantially higher today. This includes the costs of both treating the STDs and PID that cause the infertility, and resolving the infertility in couples who wish to become pregnant. In contrast, the costs of preventing PID-related infertility are probably much lower. Those costs would primarily include those for education about safer sex, douching, and condom use as well as screening and treatment for chlamydia and other STDs. The cost of such preventative measures would probably be only a minuscule fraction of the cost spent on treatment.

The relationship between PID and infertility is relatively well accepted. PID causes infertility by the scarring process that occurs during the healing of sexually transmitted infections. The extensive scarring can eventually occlude one or both fallopian tubes, and scarring tends to be worse among older women, smokers and women using IUDs. Depending on the extent of scarring it may be impossible for sperm to reach the egg, or, if sperm can get through, the fertilized egg may be unable to get to the uterus.

Not surprisingly, the percentage of women who experience infertility due to PID is directly proportional to the number of episodes of PID that they have experienced. Therefore, both treating and preventing PID are important steps in the reduction of infertility in the world.

Thus, if you want to get a healthy life and a healthy baby, you should be concerned about PID. You should consult your family doctor immediately once you find the PID symptoms in your body.