Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Risk factors for PID
Women with sexually transmitted diseases -- especially gonorrhea and chlamydia -- are at greater risk of developing PID than other women; a prior episode of PID increases the risk of another episode because the body’s defenses are often damaged during the initial bout of upper tract infection.

It’s also important to note that:

  • Sexually active teenagers are more likely to develop PID than are older women.
  • The more sexual partners a woman has the greater her risk of developing PID.
  • IUD insertion, induced abortion, and other procedures during which instruments are passed through the cervix into the uterus increase the risk of PID. Recent data indicate that women who douche once or twice a month are more likely to have PID than those who douche less than once a month. Douching may flush bacteria into the upper genital tract. Douching also may ease symptoms of an infection, delaying effective treatment.


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