An infection of the female reproductive system is known as PID. Untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are frequently the cause. Infections with yeast are not regarded as a contributing cause.
Michelle Forcier, MD, a gender-affirming clinician with the virtual healthcare service FOLX, explains that while yeast infections might produce some of the same symptoms, they usually do not cause pelvic inflammatory disease.
According to Michael Ingber, MD, urologist and female pelvic medicine specialist at The Center for Specialized Women’s Health in New Jersey, PID typically arises when a bacterial STI goes undiagnosed and, consequently, untreated.
According to Ingber, those who have both a bacterial STI and a yeast infection may be at a higher risk of developing PID than those who just have a bacterial STI.
What more factors may contribute to or raise your risk of PID?
Additional bacteria entering your body can potentially cause PID. Pathogens may infiltrate the reproductive system, for instance, if the cervix is damaged after vaginal delivery or miscarriage.
Bacteria can enter the reproductive system after any operation that involves opening the cervix, such as an abortion, IUD insertion, or cervical cancer screening.
According to research from 2021Trusted Source, persons with PID may occasionally have bacteria and yeast in their cervix that can lead to bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections, says Ingber.
Therefore, if you don’t get treatment for a STI, you can have one of these other vaginal infections, which could increase your chance of PID, he says.
Which STIs increase your risk of developing PID?
STIs can be categorized as either bacterial, viral, or parasitic. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and mycoplasma genitalium are examples of bacterial STIs linked to PID, although syphilis is a bacterial STI that usually does not cause PID.
According to Ingber, PID is also typically not brought on by parasitic or viral STIs such as HIV, HPV, or herpes simplex virus.
However, exposure to syphilis, HIV, and other STIs increases the risk of infection for those with PID. Following a PID diagnosis, many medical practitioners advise getting a full STI panel.
PID can be a major complication of a STI and can be prevented with appropriate treatment and routine testing, but not everyone develops it as a result of a STI, says Forcier.
Can an Ultrasound Show Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)?
PID is a dangerous reproductive organ infection. An ultrasound is not usually required for diagnosis, even though it might be utilized to identify PID. Diagnostic instruments that are less expensive are favored.
According to Monte Swarup, MD, OB-GYN, founder of the health information website HPV HUB, a medical expert will usually begin by conducting an external examination in order to identify PID.
They will next collect a sample of the cells for analysis and do an internal vaginal examination. They might swab the cervix and the interior of the vaginal canal.
They could proceed to diagnostic tests like an ultrasound if the results are not conclusive.
According to Michael Ingber, MD, urologist and female pelvic medicine specialist at The Center for Specialized Women’s Health in New Jersey, ultrasounds are not the most popular method of diagnosing PID.
According to Dr. Jill Purdie, a board-certified OB-GYN and medical director at Pediatrix Medical Group in Atlanta, Georgia, an ultrasound will only detect PID if the condition has advanced to the point where the fallopian tubes have abscesses, adhesions, or scarring.
What other diagnostic techniques are used to check for PID?
Exam of the pelvis
Your healthcare provider will search for outward signs of PID, including:
profuse discharge from the vagina
Green or yellow discharge
tenderness or inflammation in the vagina
Tenderness or inflammation in the cervical region
Blood or urine testing
The two main causes of PID, chlamydia and gonorrhea, can be checked for using a blood or urine test. Additionally, your healthcare provider might advise concurrent screening for additional STIs.
Your white blood cell count can also be determined by a blood test. This could provide information about the possibility of an infection in another part of the body.
The swab test
A swab test can be used to rule out other conditions, such as yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and certain sexually transmitted infections. While a swab test can be used to confirm a PID diagnosis, it cannot be used to rule one out; a negative swab test can still result in PID. During an internal pelvic exam, your healthcare provider will probably take cultures of the vagina with a super long Q-tip, also known as a swab.