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Chronic Female Pelvic Pain - Prevention
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
Early diagnosis and treatment of pelvic pain may help prevent chronic female pelvic pain.
One cause of chronic pelvic pain is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). You can greatly reduce your risk of PID by protecting yourself from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Practice safe sex or abstinence
Preventing an STI is easier than treating an infection after it occurs.
- Talk with your partner about STIs before beginning a sexual relationship. Find out whether he or she is at risk for an STI. Remember that it is quite possible to be infected with an STI without knowing it. Some STIs, such as HIV, can take up to 6 months before they can be detected in the blood.
- Be responsible.
- Avoid sexual contact if you have symptoms of an STI or are being treated for an STI.
- Avoid all sexual contact with anyone who has symptoms of an STI or who may have been exposed to an STI.
- Don't have more than one sex partner at a time. Your risk for an STI increases if you have several sex partners at the same time.
Condom use reduces the risk of becoming infected with an STI, especially gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV. Condoms must be in place before beginning any sexual contact. Use condoms with a new partner every time you have sex, until you know from test results that he or she does not have an STI.
Abstaining from sexual contact is the only certain way to avoid exposure to STIs.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: January 11, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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