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Risk factors for pelvic inflammatory disease. A case control study
M O Jossens1, B Eskenazi, J Schachter
1Department of Obstetrics, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
|May 1, 1996
Summary
Preventing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) involves reducing sexual partners and using contraception. Avoiding intercourse during menses may also lower PID risk.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) poses significant medical and economic burdens on women of reproductive age.
- Identifying PID risk factors is essential for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify risk factors and markers associated with symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Main Methods:
- A case-control study was conducted involving 234 women diagnosed with PID and 122 controls.
- Participants were recruited from San Francisco General Hospital between October 1986 and August 1989.
- Sociodemographic, reproductive, sexual, and medical histories were compared between cases and controls.
Main Results:
- Univariate analysis revealed numerous potential risk factors, including lower education, gravidity/parity, history of abortion, lack of contraception, multiple sexual partners, early age of first intercourse, gonorrhea history, sex during menses, douching, and crack cocaine use.
- Multivariate analysis identified key independent risk factors for PID: parity > 0 (OR 4.44), more than one sexual partner in 30 days (OR 11.08), sex during menses (OR 5.22), and lack of contraception (OR 7.6).
Conclusions:
- Reproductive behaviors such as limiting sexual partners and using barrier contraception are crucial for PID prevention.
- Public health interventions should target these behaviors to reduce PID incidence.
- Avoiding sexual intercourse during menstruation is suggested as a potential risk reduction measure.