Hello Bee, recently my girlfriend called me and told me that she had contracted a PID| Pelvic Inflammatory disease, I was told by a friend that it’s got after sexual intercourse with an infected person, could it be that my girlfriend had sex outside our relationship…Is she cheating of me?
JOE BURDENS, IUIU student.
Hi Joe, Well, this is kinda a tricky question to answer, but 60% chances are that yes, she had sex outside your relationship because PIDs have other causes but today it’s commonly unprotected sex. Think about it, you’re at IUIU and don’t get back home often *(That’s as per your reply email), meaning your girlfriend is sex starved and trust me she isn’t to blame because sex is more of a daily thing for university going people.
I’ll tell you something about PID. It is a bacterial infection of the female reproductive organ, it usually occurs when sexually transmitted bacteria spread from a woman’s vagina to her uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries and yes, has treatment if detected in its early stages since it’s as a result of gonorrhea or chlamydia infections.
Many women who develop pelvic inflammatory disease either experience no signs or symptoms and usually people don’t seek treatment which turns out into bareness, difficulty in getting pregnant (miscourages or abortions) or if you’re lucky enough, difficulty in delivery.
Signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease may include: Pain in your lower abdomen and pelvis Heavy vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor Irregular menstrual bleeding Pain during intercourse Fever Painful or difficult urination PID may cause only minor signs and symptoms or none at all.
PID with mild or no symptoms is especially common when the infection is due to chlamydia. When to see a doctor; Go to the emergency room if you experience the following severe signs and symptoms of PID: Severe pain low in your abdomen Vomiting Signs of shock, such as fainting, fever, with a temperature higher than 101 F (38.3 C).
If her signs and symptoms aren’t severe, but they’re persistent, tell her to see a doctor as soon as possible. Vaginal discharge with an odor, painful urination or bleeding between menstrual cycles can be associated with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). If these signs and symptoms appear, don’t have sex with her and as her to see a doctor soon. Prompt treatment of an STI can help prevent PID.
Note that this infection also affects males, so get protection before beaning that your girlfriend.
Edoku is a medical student at Islamica University in Uganda. For health related queries, send us an email; editorial@campusbee.ug.
