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We don't know exactly how many women get pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Doctors probably underestimate the true numbers because women with mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all, may never be diagnosed.

In the United States, nearly 1 million women are known to get PID each year. And 1 in 8 sexually active adolescent girls are expected to get PID before the age of 20.¹

More than 100,000 women become infertile each year because of PID. Many of the 70,000 ectopic pregnancies that happen every year are caused by PID.²

Here are some reasons why you may be more likely to get PID.^{3 4}

• You're younger than 25. Your cervix is more likely to be damaged by an infection when you're young.
• You've had a sexually transmitted infection before. This may have already started to damage your reproductive organs, so you're more likely to get PID if you get another infection.
• You've had PID before.
• You have more than one sex partner, or your sex partner has other partners.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.