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Pelvic inflammatory disease (called PID for short) only happens to women. It means you have an infection in your reproductive organs. These organs include your uterus, your ovaries, your fallopian tubes (which carry the eggs from your ovaries to your uterus) and surrounding parts of your pelvis.

Although PID is quite common, it's not always easy to tell whether you have it. This is because the symptoms you get at the time can be mild. Or you may not feel ill at all.

But if you have PID you will need to be treated quickly with antibiotics.

If you're not treated quickly, your reproductive organs may get damaged. This can cause serious problems.

PID is almost always caused by an infection that you get from having sex (a sexually transmitted infection).

PID happens when an infection that starts in your vagina affects your cervix (the neck of the uterus) and then travels further to your uterus, your fallopian tubes and your ovaries. The infection can make your reproductive organs inflamed (swollen).

If your fallopian tubes get inflamed, they may eventually get blocked by scar tissue. The scar tissue can stop your eggs from traveling from your ovaries to your uterus. This makes it hard for you to get pregnant. And if you do get pregnant, the baby may start growing part way along your fallopian tube, instead of in the uterus. This is called an ectopic pregnancy.¹

The infection is often caused by sexually transmitted bacteria. These bacteria cause the sexually transmitted diseases called gonorrhea or chlamydia. But other bacteria may also cause the infection.²

Any sexually active woman can get PID. But some women are more at risk than others. You're most likely to get PID if:²

• You are younger than 25 years
• You've had at least one or more sexually transmitted infections
• You've had PID before
• You have more than one sex partner (the more partners you have, the higher your chances of PID)
• You've recently had an intrauterine contraceptive device (also called IUD or coil for short) inserted.

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.