Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can be treated with antibiotics. Physicians usually prescribe two antibiotics that fight a broad spectrum of infections. A patient can begin treatment with antibiotics immediately, even before the results of diagnostic tests are known. This is because the value of treating the infection early (and avoiding potential damage to the reproductive system) outweighs the risks of treatment should PID not actually be present. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises such aggressive treatment due to the potential consequences of not treating PID.

Patients are usually advised to return to the physician several days after beginning antibiotic treatment to determine if symptoms have improved. If they have not, the physician may recommend laparoscopy to examine the reproductive system for other potential causes of symptoms. Most cases are cured after 10 to 14 days of antibiotic treatment.

Most women can be treated as outpatients with oral or injected antibiotics. Some women need intravenous antibiotics and require hospitalization. This may include women who:

• Are pregnant
• Have immune system deficiencies associated with a chronic illness (e.g., HIV/AIDS)
• Have severe symptoms like nausea and vomiting
• Do not respond after several days of oral antibiotics
• Contract PID after insertion of an intrauterine device

When PID is caused by chlamydia or gonorrhea, a woman’s sexual partners should be informed so they can seek medical treatment. Some severe PID cases may require surgery to drain abscesses caused by the infection.

Women being treated for PID should abstain from sexual activity until the infection is cured and their partners have also been treated for any infection. A woman who continues to be sexually active with a partner who has not been treated for a sexually transmitted disease may be re-infected with the STD.

Although antibiotics can cure the infection, they cannot reverse any damage or scarring that may be caused by PID. Damage to the reproductive organs, especially the fallopian tubes, can limit the ability of an egg to be fertilized or can cause a fertilized egg to implant incorrectly (ectopic pregnancy). A woman who has had PID and wants to become pregnant should consult her gynecologist to determine if she sustained any damage that will affect fertility.