Reproductive and Sexual Health Handbook

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a clinical syndrome of ascending infection and inflammation from the vagina or endocervix, and may involve the endometrium, fallopian tubes, ovaries and/or peritoneum. Patients with acute disease typically present with a short history of new onset pelvic pain and dyspareunia. Untreated PID is associated with subfertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain.^{(1, 2)}

In up to 70 per cent of cases, a causative pathogen is never isolated.^{(1, 3)} When a pathogen is identified, the sexually transmitted pathogens Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Mycoplasma genitalium may be implicated. PID is thought to be polymicrobial in aetiology,⁽¹⁾ with anaerobes and other vaginal flora also implicated in the development of disease.⁽²⁾

Negative swabs do not exclude a diagnosis of PID.