There is no single test for diagnosing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Your doctor will diagnose PID based on your symptoms and on a gynaecological examination. When your doctor examines you, they will look for tenderness in your pelvic region and an abnormal vaginal discharge.
The doctor will usually take swabs from inside your vagina and cervix, which will be sent to a laboratory to try to identify the type of bacteria causing the infection. However, a swab test cannot be relied on to diagnose PID as some women with PID have a negative swab result.
Because PID is difficult to diagnose by the symptoms alone, you may have a blood test or an ultrasound scan. Scans can identify severe PID but will not show up mild disease. It is, therefore, possible to have a normal scan and still have PID.
In some cases, a laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) may be used to diagnose PID. A laparoscopy is a minor surgical procedure where two small cuts are made in the abdomen. A thin microscope is inserted so that the doctor can look at your internal organs and, if necessary, take tissue samples. This is usually only done in more severe cases where there may be other possible causes of the symptoms, such as appendicitis.
Admission to hospital
You may be urgently admitted to hospital if:
- you are pregnant, especially if there is a chance you may have an ectopic pregnancy,
- your symptoms are severe (such as nausea, vomiting and a high fever),
- you have signs of pelvic peritonitis (inflammation of the inside lining of the abdomen),
- an abscess is suspected, or
- you may need emergency surgery, for example for appendicitis.
