may have had pid

[punkybear]

I am so worried and I wanted a doctor to maybe help me.  About a year ago I developed a kind of weird pelvic pain that lasted about two or three weeks.  It felt almost like prickly pain in my pelvic area and when I sneezed it felt like my organs "moved" or something. It wasnt horrible pain by any means, just discomfort and pressure and I thought it was strange.  It did not feel like cramps.  It gradually got better and toward the end I only flet little sharp pains in my ovary areas every once in awhile.  I don't think I had abnormal discharge or anything.  I had just been tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea and so had my partner. I have never had chlamydia or gonorrhea.  I should have gone to the doctor about my pain, but I wasn't very worried and didn't have insurance.  Since then I have learned about pid and I am so terrified that that is what I had and I could be infertile now.  What is the possibility that I did have pid without an std?  Do my symptoms sound like they could have been pid related?  I am so scared!BTW, I am on the pill and I was then, too.  I have not been trying to conceive yet.  I had a pelvic ultrasound recently for a slight pain in my side and they told me everything looked normal.  Would they have seen damage on an ultrasound?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

I wish I could help, but I cannot make even an educated guess about the cause of the transient pelvic pain you describe. It seems consistent with PID, but also with so many other things. PID sometimes is due to non-STD infections, but even in people with negative test results for gonorrhea and chlamydia, PID usually is sexually acquired.



But even if it was PID, the normal pelvic ultrasound suggests that no serious damage was done.  That isn't proof, just changes the odds in your favor; but there is no particular reason for you to be frightened about infertility, tubal pregnancy, or other complications of PID.



Sorry I can't be more helpful.  Your gynecologist is in a better position than I am to judge whether you are at risk for infertility.  But my guess is it's not a problem.



Good luck--  HHH, MD

[cbonner]

Doc, as a point of referance, with regards to the chlamydia tests nowadays. Is there any data how accurate the PCR urine/swab tests are?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

PCR and related tests are the methods of choice for detecting chlamydia.  A single test will pick up over 95% of infections, far more accurate than other (older) tests.



HHH, MD