Limited Sexually Transmitted Disease Testing
At MyChoice we test and treat for the two most common forms of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. An STD can affect your pregnancy.
When considering your pregnancy options, it is important to know if you have an STD. It is always best to be treated as soon as possible, but if you are considering having an abortion, you MUST receive treatment prior to having that abortion procedure.
Women who have an untreated STD, such as Chlamydia or Gonorrhea, are up to 25% more likely to develop Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) following an abortion procedure. It is crucial to be tested for STDs prior to making any decisions about the outcome of your pregnancy.
What is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease?
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a general term that refers to infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and other reproductive organs in women. PID is a common and serious complication of some sexually transmitted infections, especially Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, when left untreated. PID is a cause of infertility and ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy growing outside the uterus). Symptoms of PID vary from none to severe. When PID is caused by Chlamydial infection, a woman may experience mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, while serious damage is being done to her reproductive organs. Because of vague symptoms, PID goes unrecognized by women and their health care providers about two-thirds of the time. Women who have symptoms of PID most commonly experience:
- Painful or burning sensation when urinating
- Lower abdominal pain
- Fever
- Unusual vaginal discharge that may have a foul odor
- Painful intercourse
- Painful urination
- Irregular menstrual bleeding
- Pain in the right upper abdomen, though rare
Each year in the United States, it is estimated that more than 1 million women experience an episode of acute PID. More than 100,000 women become infertile each year as a result of PID. (Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)