Can pelvic inflammatory disease cause infertility?
The more times you have pelvic inflammatory disease, the more likely it is that you won’t be able to get pregnant. When you have pelvic inflammatory disease, bacteria infect the tubes or cause inflammation of the tubes. This turns normal tissue into scar tissue. Scar tissue can block your tubes and make it harder to get pregnant. Even having just a little scar tissue can keep you from getting pregnant without infertility treatment. How can pelvic inflammatory disease be prevented? Pelvic inflammatory disease is most often caused by an STI that hasn’t been treated. You can keep from getting pelvic inflammatory disease by not getting an STI. • The best way to prevent an STI is to not have sex of any kind. • Have sex with 1 partner who doesn’t have any STIs. • Use condoms every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Read and follow the directions on the package. Condoms, when used the right way, can lower your chances of getting an STI. • Don’t douche. Douching removes some of the norm
