Pelvic inflammatory disease - Treating pelvic inflammatory disease

If it is diagnosed at an early stage, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can be treated quickly and efficiently. However, if it is left untreated, it can lead to more serious, long-term complications.

Read more information about the complications of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

If you have mild or moderate PID, your GP or sexual health clinic will usually manage your treatment.

Antibiotics

A combination of at least two antibiotics is usually prescribed to treat PID. This is because PID often involves several different types of bacteria.

Without running tests, it can be hard for doctors to identify the exact bacteria responsible, and so a combination of antibiotics may be initially prescribed so that a variety of bacteria can be treated. It s important to treat PID quickly to minimise the risk of infertility.

If your doctor is able to identify the bacteria, your antibiotics may be changed accordingly. Antibiotics that are commonly prescribed to treat PID include ofloxacin, metronidazole, ceftriaxone and doxycycline.

You will usually have to take the antibiotics for 14 days. It is very important to complete the entire course of antibiotics; otherwise the treatment may not be effective.

In particularly severe cases of PID, you may have to be admitted to hospital where you will receive antibiotics intravenously (through a drip in your arm).

Surgery

The bacteria that cause PID can leave scar tissue and abscesses (collections of infected fluid) on the lining of your fallopian tubes. This makes it very hard for an egg to pass along it.

The longer PID is left untreated, the more likely scarring will occur. Prompt treatment is essential for minimising the risk of damage to the fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs.

Studies suggest that delaying treatment by even a few days can increase the risk of impaired fertility. However, most women get pregnant without problems after a single episode of PID.

Laparoscopy

Sometimes, blocked or damaged tubes can be repaired during a laparoscopy (keyhole surgery), where the abnormal tissue on the lining of the tubes is removed. However, this can sometimes cause further scarring and may not always restore fertility.

Salpingectomy

A more extreme form of surgery is a salpingectomy. This involves the removal of one or both of the fallopian tubes to stop the spread of further infection.

This is only to be considered as a last resort, as the removal of both fallopian tubes will mean you will no longer be able to get pregnant naturally.

The longer treatment for PID is delayed, the more likely it is that the fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs will be permanently damaged.

If the tubes are so damaged that it is impossible to get pregnant naturally, some people will be helped by in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).