What is pelvic inflammatory disease?

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the female¹ upper genital tract and may involve the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and, occasionally, adjacent pelvic structures. PID includes endometritis, salpingitis, tubo-ovarian abscess, pelvic cellulitis and pelvic peritonitisOng, 2023Workowski, 2021.

PID is usually polymicrobial and is caused by sexually transmissible pathogens, vaginal flora and anaerobic bacteriaMitchell, 2021Ong, 2023Workowski, 2021. Some patients may also have bacterial vaginosisBritish Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), 2019Goller, 2017Ong, 2023Workowski, 2021. Chlamydia trachomatis is the most commonly identified sexually transmissible pathogen in patients with PID, followed by Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitaliumJensen, 2015Lis, 2015Ross, 2017. However, in most cases of PID, no pathogen is identifiedGoller, 2017Ong, 2023.