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Is it possible I have had PID for years without knowing it?
Hello,
I have not been sexually active for the past 2 years, but when I was, I contracted chlamydia on at least two separate occasions. I did not understand at the time that you needed to be retested after receiving treatment, so I am worried that the infection may have remained and turned into PID without me knowing it, potentially causing permanent damage to my reproductive organs.
I also had unprotected sex after my last chlamydia infection, and I can't remember if I got tested for chlamydia afterwards or not. I had a blood test for it about a year ago, and of course I had the antibodies, but they were low and the test said negative. I would have had a swab test or urine test as well at that time, but somebody working at the lab told me that it would be pointless so long after the unprotected sex (a year at that point) because the infection would no longer be detectable in the vagina. This is what scares me, because if what he said is true, it suggests that I could have a chlamydia infection that is not even detectable by doctors.
I have done several pelvic echographies and Pap smears which have all come back normal. Is it possible that I could have PID anyway? Or would it have shown up somehow through some of these tests? I do often have pelvic pain, but I always assumed it was gas!
Feeling very worried as I just turned 30 and want to make sure I can have kids one day.
Many thanks for any advice or wisdom you can offer.
I have not been sexually active for the past 2 years, but when I was, I contracted chlamydia on at least two separate occasions. I did not understand at the time that you needed to be retested after receiving treatment, so I am worried that the infection may have remained and turned into PID without me knowing it, potentially causing permanent damage to my reproductive organs.
I also had unprotected sex after my last chlamydia infection, and I can't remember if I got tested for chlamydia afterwards or not. I had a blood test for it about a year ago, and of course I had the antibodies, but they were low and the test said negative. I would have had a swab test or urine test as well at that time, but somebody working at the lab told me that it would be pointless so long after the unprotected sex (a year at that point) because the infection would no longer be detectable in the vagina. This is what scares me, because if what he said is true, it suggests that I could have a chlamydia infection that is not even detectable by doctors.
I have done several pelvic echographies and Pap smears which have all come back normal. Is it possible that I could have PID anyway? Or would it have shown up somehow through some of these tests? I do often have pelvic pain, but I always assumed it was gas!
Feeling very worried as I just turned 30 and want to make sure I can have kids one day.
Many thanks for any advice or wisdom you can offer.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi, chelmb, a person can read and read on the Internet and come away none the wiser and a lot more paranoid. If the gold standard for chlamydia testing is to do three tests, find a doc who will do three tests. And do a blood test for infection, which would certainly show positive if you have PID, and then if you are still worried, see a doc and ask for a pelvic-region MRI. Maybe you have adhesions, or endometriosis, or cysts that only happen every now and then (at a certain time in your cycle and only every other ovulation, for example). Don't self-diagnose and go to the doctor to get tested for one thing.
A lot of women get pain with ovulation, you might also chart the pains you have and see if they are regular in relation to your menstrual month or every other month. But let the doctor do the diagnosing, your job is to provide a clear description of symptoms and to find a good doctor. Not to be the doctor.
A lot of women get pain with ovulation, you might also chart the pains you have and see if they are regular in relation to your menstrual month or every other month. But let the doctor do the diagnosing, your job is to provide a clear description of symptoms and to find a good doctor. Not to be the doctor.
COMMUNITY LEADER
I really don't think you'd have PID for years and not know it. That is a serious and sometimes life threatening condition and there are signs of infection that would be present that you wouldn't miss. You are supposed to get three negative chlamydia tests before being considered cleared of that. It's resilient and it takes three confirmation tests to make sure it's truly gone. I'm not sure what you were told about not being able to detect if you have it but that seems unlikely. I would check with your doctor and not take the words of an off hand comment made by a lab employee. Chlamydia does not turn into PID. So, PID is not really on the table but go to a doctor to discuss what is going on and being retested for chlamydia. PID stands for pelvic inflammatory disease.
By the way, any symptoms at all? PID causes great pain, fever, etc.
By the way, any symptoms at all? PID causes great pain, fever, etc.
2 Comments
thanks very much for your response specialmom. I did ask my gyno about chlamydia not being detectable after some time and she said she wasn't sure. I asked another doctor as well, and he told me that if I had chlamydia for 2 years I and everyone in my entourage would know it and nobody would want to come near me with a ten foot pole (obviously he was not a very nice man)- So my take away is that different doctors have different opinions on this. In my personal experience, my chlamydia has been completely asymptotic, which I have read is often the case in women.
As for PID, everything I have read about chlamydia (and I've read a LOT) says it can cause PID if it goes untreated. So I did a lot of research on PID and everything I read said that often times women will have no symptoms. In fact, my mom got it before I was born from an IUD and she had no symptoms. The doctor only noticed the infection when he was removing the IUD.
Anyway, I guess what I really wanted to know was how a doctor would detect PID in a patient with no symptoms. Would a pelvic and vaginal sonogram be enough? Or a pap smear? Because, as I said, I've had these tests and they came back normal. I'm just wondering if a more invasive procedure is sometimes necessary to detect PID.
Many many thanks!
As for PID, everything I have read about chlamydia (and I've read a LOT) says it can cause PID if it goes untreated. So I did a lot of research on PID and everything I read said that often times women will have no symptoms. In fact, my mom got it before I was born from an IUD and she had no symptoms. The doctor only noticed the infection when he was removing the IUD.
Anyway, I guess what I really wanted to know was how a doctor would detect PID in a patient with no symptoms. Would a pelvic and vaginal sonogram be enough? Or a pap smear? Because, as I said, I've had these tests and they came back normal. I'm just wondering if a more invasive procedure is sometimes necessary to detect PID.
Many many thanks!
And in response to your question regarding symptoms, as I mentioned I often have pelvic pain but I always assumed it was trapped gas or something related to digestion putting pressure on my bladder. Sometimes the pain is quite intense. No fever though. I had a pelvic and intravaginal sonogram just last week because doc wanted to rule out ovarian cysts for the pelvic pain, and the doctor said everything looked fine. But she was specifically looking for cysts.
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