Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): symptoms, causes, treatment and which doctor to see
What pelvic inflammatory disease is, the symptoms to take seriously, why early antibiotics protect fertility, and when to see a gynaecologist.
Also known as: PID
What PID is
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the upper female reproductive organs — the womb (uterus), fallopian tubes and ovaries. It usually starts when bacteria from the vagina or cervix travel upwards. The infection causes inflammation, and if it is not treated quickly it can leave scarring inside the tubes.
That scarring is what makes PID important. It can lead to difficulty getting pregnant, a higher chance of an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that grows outside the womb), and long-lasting pelvic pain. It can also cause a collection of pus, called a tubo-ovarian abscess. The earlier PID is treated, the lower the risk of these problems, which is why doctors treat on suspicion rather than waiting for certainty.
PID is a common, treatable condition. Having it does not mean anyone has done something wrong, and a gynaecologist will have seen many women with it. Speaking openly about symptoms and sexual history helps the doctor treat you properly.
Symptoms
PID can be mild, and some women have few or no symptoms at all, which is one reason it is missed. When symptoms occur, they may include:
- Lower abdominal pain, often on both sides — the most common symptom
- Abnormal vaginal discharge, which may be yellow, green or foul-smelling
- Fever, sometimes with chills
- Pain during sex, felt deep in the pelvis
- Bleeding between periods or after sex, or heavier, more painful periods
- Painful urination or needing to pass urine often
- Nausea and vomiting in more severe cases
Similar symptoms can be caused by other conditions, such as ectopic pregnancy, appendicitis, urinary tract infection, ovarian cysts or endometriosis. That is why a proper examination and a pregnancy test matter.
Causes and risk factors
PID is often caused by sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly chlamydia and gonorrhoea, which can be silent in the cervix for some time before spreading upwards. Other bacteria normally found in the vagina can also cause PID. Less often, infection follows childbirth, miscarriage, abortion or a procedure in which instruments pass through the cervix.
The risk is higher if you:
- Are sexually active and young, especially under twenty-five
- Have a new sexual partner, more than one partner, or a partner who has other partners
- Have had an STI or PID before
- Do not use condoms
- Douche or wash inside the vagina, which can push bacteria upwards and disturb its natural balance
- Have recently had an intrauterine device (IUD, such as a copper-T) inserted — the small extra risk is mainly in the first few weeks after insertion
Married women in a single relationship can also get PID, including from a partner who has an infection without symptoms.
How it is diagnosed
There is no single test that proves PID. The doctor puts together your symptoms, sexual and menstrual history, and examination. You can ask for a female doctor or a chaperone to be present.
- Pelvic examination — to check for tenderness of the womb, cervix and ovaries, and look at the discharge
- Swab tests — samples from the vagina or cervix to test for chlamydia, gonorrhoea and other infections
- Pregnancy test — to rule out ectopic pregnancy, which can be life-threatening
- Urine and blood tests, including markers of infection and, with your consent, tests for HIV and syphilis
- Pelvic ultrasound — to look for an abscess or other causes of pain
If the diagnosis is still unclear, or you are not improving, a gynaecologist may recommend laparoscopy, a keyhole procedure under anaesthesia that lets them look directly at the pelvic organs.
Treatment
PID is treated with antibiotics, usually a combination that covers the most likely bacteria, started as soon as PID is suspected — often before test results come back. Most women with mild to moderate PID are treated with tablets at home, sometimes after a first dose by injection.
- Take the full course, even if you feel better after a few days; stopping early can leave infection behind
- Avoid sex until you and your partner have both finished treatment and your doctor says it is safe
- Avoid alcohol if your doctor advises it with a particular antibiotic
- Go back for review after a few days, or sooner if you are not improving
Partner treatment is essential. Any partner from the past few months should be tested and treated, even if they have no symptoms. Otherwise the infection is likely to come back. Your doctor can advise how to approach this, and some clinics can help with partner notification confidentially.
Hospital admission for antibiotics through a drip may be needed if you are very unwell, have a high fever or vomiting, are pregnant, have an abscess, if ectopic pregnancy or appendicitis cannot be ruled out, or if tablets have not worked. Surgery, usually by laparoscopy, is sometimes needed to drain an abscess or if the diagnosis is uncertain. If you have an IUD, it can often be left in place during treatment; your doctor will advise.
Antibiotics clear the infection but cannot undo scarring that has already formed, which is why prompt treatment matters.
After PID and fertility
Many women who have had PID go on to have children without any difficulty, especially when it was treated early. The risk of fertility problems rises with repeated episodes and with delayed treatment. If you have had PID and later become pregnant, see a doctor early in pregnancy so that an ectopic pregnancy can be ruled out. If you are having difficulty conceiving, tell your doctor about any past PID — see female infertility.
Prevention
- Use condoms with new or casual partners
- Get tested for STIs if you or your partner have a new partner or symptoms, and make sure both are treated
- Do not douche or wash inside the vagina
- See a doctor early for unusual discharge, pelvic pain or bleeding after sex
- If you have had PID, go for follow-up testing as advised to make sure the infection has cleared
When it is an emergency
Call 112 or 108, or go to the nearest emergency department, if you have:
- Severe pain in the lower abdomen, especially if you could be pregnant or have missed a period
- High fever with shivering, vomiting or feeling faint
- Fainting, dizziness, a fast heartbeat or shoulder-tip pain, which can be signs of internal bleeding from an ectopic pregnancy
- Pain that is getting rapidly worse despite antibiotics
Which doctor to see
A gynaecologist is the main specialist for PID, especially for confirming the diagnosis, managing severe or repeated infection, and discussing fertility afterwards. A general physician can start treatment for mild PID and arrange tests. An infectious diseases specialist may help with unusual or resistant infections.
You can find gynaecologists in Bengaluru or general physicians in Bengaluru on The Doctor Index, each with a registration you can check.
Questions to ask at your appointment
- How sure are you that this is PID, and what else could it be?
- Which infections am I being tested for?
- How should my partner get tested and treated?
- When should I come back if I am not better?
- Has this affected my chances of becoming pregnant, and what should I do when I plan a pregnancy?
Common questions
Questions people ask
- Can PID cause infertility?
- It can. PID may scar the fallopian tubes, which can make it harder to conceive or raise the risk of ectopic pregnancy. The risk is lower when PID is treated early, and many women have normal pregnancies afterwards.
- Is PID always caused by a sexually transmitted infection?
- No. STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea are common causes, but other bacteria normally found in the vagina can also cause PID, as can infection after childbirth, miscarriage or a gynaecological procedure.
- Can I get PID even if I have only one partner?
- Yes. A partner can carry an infection without any symptoms, and some cases are not caused by STIs at all. PID is a medical condition, not a judgement about anyone's behaviour, and it is treatable.
- Does a copper-T cause PID?
- An IUD such as a copper-T slightly increases the risk of PID mainly in the first few weeks after it is put in. After that the risk is low. Your doctor may test for infections before insertion.
This condition is usually assessed by a gynaecologist. Every profile shows the doctor’s registration and what has been checked.
Gynaecologists in Bangalore
A few gynaecologists listed on The Doctor Index. They are shown because of their speciality, not a stated interest in Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; ask the clinic whether the doctor sees it.
Related conditions
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cysts
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginitis
All obstetrics and gynaecology conditions →
Practical reading
All postsSources
- MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine — Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Government of India — Emergency Response Support System (112)
- MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine — Pelvic Inflammatory Disease — Public-domain health-topic summary
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): symptoms, causes, treatment and which doctor to see is original text by The Doctor Index; the compiled source draft was used for research. Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999; July 2026 data, CC BY 4.0. This product uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (hp/releases/2026-09-01). Only sources listed for this article apply. Source material has been selected and arranged; HPO definitions are reproduced without alteration. No source organisation endorses this compilation. Köhler S et al. The Human Phenotype Ontology project: linking molecular biology and disease through phenotype data. Nucleic Acids Research 2014;42(D1):D966–D974. doi:10.1093/nar/gkt1026.
General information, not advice about your situation. Errors can be reported through the corrections process. Reference TDI-C-1822.