Which statement about Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is true?

• A. PID is a viral infection of the pelvic cavity.
• B. PID is a bacterial invasion of the vagina and pelvic cavity typically caused by an STD.
• C. PID presents with fever and pelvic pain only.
• D. PID is treated with antifungal therapy.

Answer: (B)

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease involves a bacterial infection that ascends from the vagina into the upper reproductive tract, affecting the uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries. This pattern—bacteria spreading upward from the vagina and often linked to sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea or chlamydia—explains why the true statement describes PID as a bacterial invasion of the vagina and pelvic cavity typically caused by an STD.

This isn’t a viral condition, so describing PID as a viral infection isn’t accurate. Its symptoms aren’t limited to fever and pelvic pain; many patients have a combination of lower abdominal pain, cervical motion tenderness, and sometimes abnormal discharge, with fever occurring in some cases but not defining. Treatment involves antibiotics that target a broad range of pelvic pathogens, not antifungal therapy, which would be used for fungal infections. Prompt, appropriate antibiotic treatment helps prevent complications such as infertility or an ectopic pregnancy.