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PID is an infection of the woman's
upper genital tract
The risk of PID in IUD users is:
- low overall
- higher during first 20 days after insertion
- due mostly to infection with gonorrhea and chlamydia
- similar to risk of PID in women with gonorrhea and
chlamydia who are not using an IUD
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Pelvic inflammatory disease, also known as PID, is an infection
of the woman’s upper genital
tract. Overall risk of PID associated with the IUD is very low,
although there is a somewhat increased risk of PID during the
first 20 days after insertion. Sexually transmitted infections
(STIs), such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, are the reason some
women develop PID. When the IUD is inserted through an infected
cervix, there is a chance that it will carry the infection from
the lower to the upper genital tract. However, women with undiagnosed
and untreated gonorrhea or chlamydia who are not using the IUD
develop PID as well. Based on available evidence, it appears
that PID rates are similar among women with STIs with or without
the IUD being inserted, and the IUD itself contributes very
little to the risk of PID.
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