Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - Exams and Tests

SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is often difficult to diagnose because:

  • PID symptoms vary and can be mistakenly linked to other health conditions.
  • There is no single test that can detect PID. It is diagnosed by the combination of your medical history, your symptoms, a physical exam, and lab test results.
  • It is hard to examine the inside of the abdomen or a fallopian tube to see whether an infection is present.

Guidelines for PID care urge prompt treatment, even when only the minimal clinical criteria for the diagnosis of PID are met and even before laboratory test results are available.3 This means that you may be given antibiotic treatment right away, based on your risk factors, medical history, and physical exam. Delaying treatment for several days could increase your risks of fallopian tube damage and infertility.

Medical history

To learn about your medical history, your doctor may ask you the following questions.

  • Is it possible that you are pregnant?
  • Do you think you were exposed to any sexually transmitted infections (STIs)? How do you know? Did your partner tell you?
  • What are your symptoms?
    • Do you have vaginal discharge? If you have discharge from the vagina, it is important to note any smell or color.
    • Do you have sores in the genital area or anywhere else on your body?
    • Do you have any urinary symptoms, including frequent urination, burning or stinging with urination, or urinating in small amounts?
  • What method of birth control do you use? Do you use condoms to protect against STIs?
  • Do you or your partner engage in high-risk sexual behaviors, including sex without a condom?
  • Do you or your partner have other sexual contact outside of your relationship?
  • Have you had an STI in the past? How was it treated?
  • Have you had PID in the past? How was it treated?
  • When was your last menstrual period?

Physical exam

After your medical history is taken, the initial exam for PID will include a pelvic exam.

Laboratory and imaging tests

A pregnancy test is done to rule out the possibility of a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy.

Tests for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and bacterial vaginosis are done, because they are most commonly linked to PID. These are done during your pelvic exam.

Other tests may be done to confirm the diagnosis of PID, to rule out other problems (such as appendicitis), or to find out whether the infection has spread. These tests include:

Laparoscopy and ultrasound are considered the best procedures for diagnosing PID. But these tests are not done unless the diagnosis is in doubt or the results from the procedure will change the method used for treatment.

Early Detection

There is no standard screening for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) at this time. But routine annual screening of young, sexually active women for chlamydia is thought to reduce the number of cases of PID and is recommended by experts.

Be sure to have a gynecologic exam promptly whenever you notice pelvic infection symptoms or pelvic pain. If you have been exposed to an STI, see your doctor for testing right away. If you are diagnosed with an STI, especially gonorrhea or chlamydia, you will be treated and evaluated for PID. Your partner(s) must also have treatment for the STI.

Women who have recently been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) also should be checked for other STIs.

By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: November 23, 2010
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.

Advertisement
Care Circle

It Seems That You Are Not Logged In...

OR

Join Now

Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:

  1. Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
  2. Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
  3. Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.

The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.

How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?

Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.

How do I save content to my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.

How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.

How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?

Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.

See All News

Advertisement