Experts in the health sector have warned that pelvic inflammatory disease – an inflammation of the female genital tract, accompanied by fever and lower abdominal pain – is on the rise in Nigeria due to untreated sexually transmitted diseases (STDS).
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are major causes of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility in women. It has been estimated that more than 1 million women experience an episode of acute PIDS each year and the rate is higher in teenagers and first time mothers.
“PID affects millions of women each year, and is witnessing an uptick in Nigeria as well as many other countries,” Paul Ogoegbulem, an Abuja-based medical practitioner says.
Ogoegbulem notes that PID is an infection of one or more pelvic organs that includes the uterus, cervix, and fallopian tubes witnessing a surge because many people leave STDS untreated for a long time.
“It is significantly higher among women having sex with multiple partners and not using condoms, a practice that places them at greater risk for contracting STDS,” he states.
Similarly, Abayomi Ajayi, specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology and CEO of Nordica Fertility Centre, lag os, says many different issues can cause pelvic factor infertility.
“These include scar tissue from infections, injuries or surgeries, or problems like endometriosis, ovarian cysts, or fibroids in the uterus can all affect how a woman’s reproductive system functions,” Ajayi states.
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According to the world health Organisation (WHO), every day there are more than 1 million new cases of curable sexually transmitted infections (STIS) among people aged 15-49 years. This amounts to more than 376 million new cases annually of four infections – chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis.
“We’re seeing a concerning lack of progress in stopping the spread of sexually transmitted infections worldwide ,” notes peter Salama, executive director for Universal Health Coverage and the life-course at who .“this is a wake-up call for a concerted effort to ensure everyone, everywhere can access the services they need to prevent and treat these debilitating diseases.”
However, a recently published research by the centre for disease Control (CDC), also found that women who begun having sex before they were 12 years old were eight times more likely to develop the disease.
“Pelvic inflammatory disease tends to be a complication of having a prior sexually transmitted infection, and given that there are such high numbers of chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections in the US, it means a lot of women are at risk,” Kristen Kreisel, an epidemiologist with the Division of STD Prevention at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Pelvic inflammatory disease can be treated, as well as the STD that caused it, but the structural damage that occurs because of Pi dis often irreversible, that’ s why it’s important to stay on top of it,” Kreisel says.
PID poses long-term hazards such as infertility, chronic pelvic pain and ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies occur when an embryo implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus.
Doctors say douching significantly increases the risk of developing PID and other pelvic infections and is not recommended. “Douching removes the natural, protective mucus from the cervix, giving bacteria a more receptive place to grow. Always use caution if it must be done and be aware of the risks,”kreisel advises.
