Preventing and treating Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (Day 2).

PID Prevention Methods

Yesterday we talked about  symptoms and how to diagnose PID, today we will look at prevention.

Indeed with PID prevention is much better than cure:

For one there is really no advantage in having multiple sexual partners.

Be in a faithful relationship with your spouse.

Don’t engage in risky sexual practices.

Use barrier protection.

Also, Parents should teach their teenagers the disadvantages of rushing into early sexual activity.

You may want to ask, does the insertion of an intrauterine contraceptive device (#IUCD) increase one’s risk of PID?

The truth is the risk does increase shortly after insertion but it goes down after a few months.

PID Treatment

A mistake women or indeed couples make is only to treat one person, usually the woman. You and your current and recent partners should go for treatment.

It will be important to do a pregnancy test before starting treatment especially if you have been sexually active, this is because PID can lead to an #ectopic pregnancy; sometimes people mix up these two conditions .

Another reason to check for pregnancy is because the treatment modalities will change if you are pregnant.

You should see a doctor for proper treatment.

Antibiotic injections or tablets will be given you for up to 2 weeks.

Your doctor may also decide to drain any pus collection.

How long does it take to recover from a pelvic infection?

You should feel better in two or three days. Your temperature, pain and vaginal discharge should reduce significantly.

One should note that commencement of treatment does not mean one is immediately cured; the infection can still be transmitted so it is advisable not to have sex or to use barrier contraception such as a condom with your spouse, this should be done until both of you are free of symptoms. This can take a couple of weeks

PID Complications

The risks of poor or no treatment include a chronic pelvic pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancy.

You may find it hard to complete the antibiotics for the needed time. Don’t do this. it is risky.

One last thing before we end this discussion, it is also important to do a HIV test especially if you’ve had #multiple sexual partners.

Speak to your spouse today about seeing a doctor.

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Here’s wishing you a great day.

Stay healthy!

Image: scx.hu