Jos – Dr. Fabong Yildam, a General Practitioner with Plateau Specialist Hospital, has said Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a major cause of infertility in women.
Yildam said this in an interview with journalist in Jos, adding that untreated or poorly treated PID could lead to blockage of the fallopian tube and cause infertility.
He defined PID as infection of the female reproductive organ, which ascends from the outer urinary tract into the inner urinary tract.
The doctor said that unless the fallopian tubes were unblocked via surgery, the chances of conception are very low since the fallopian tube serves as passage for the ovum (egg cell) from the ovary to the uterus which meets with the sperm for fertilisation.
“Tubal blockage is what essentially leads to infertility, even if it does not lead to complete blockage of the fallopian tube, it could make the endometrium (the lining of the uterus where the baby stays) hostile and predisposes woman to recurrent abortions.’’
The health practitioner explained that if the cervix was exposed to Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) such as gonorrhea, it
becomes infected and unable to prevent the spread of the organisms to the internal organs.
According to him, PID is one of the most serious complications of STDs in women.
He, however, added that aside the PID, other gynecological conditions could lead to tubal blockage, saying the symptoms of PID could be specific or non specific.
Yildam said the non specific symptoms include fever, headache, body weakness, while the specific ones are; offensive vaginal discharge, pains when passing urine, low abdominal pain and severe vaginal itching.
He noted that the symptoms could be treated if detected early, explaining that one major factor responsible for the high cases of PID recorded in some hospitals was women’s’ attitude to their health.
He said some women go for self medication without knowing the actual cause and the exact drugs and dosage required to terminate the micro organisms could not be achieved.
He then advised women and people generally to cultivate the habit of going to hospital to get medical attention whenever they noticed or experienced any symptoms.