2018 United Kingdom National

Guideline for the Management of

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
2018 United Kingdom National Guideline for the Management of Pelvic
Inflammatory Disease

Guideline development group: Jonathan Ross (lead author), Michelle Cole, Ceri
Evans, Deirdre Lyons, Gillian Dean, Darren Cousins, PPI representative

What is new in the 2018 update?

 the role of Mycoplasma genitalium as an important cause of PID has become clearer and
testing is recommended for women presenting with possible PID and the male partners of
women with confirmed M. genitalium infection
 recent evidence suggests that serious adverse events are uncommon when using
moxifloxacin and its use is now recommended as a first line therapy, especially in those
women with M. genitalium PID
 the potential utility of MRI scanning of the pelvis in excluding differential diagnoses has been
highlighted
 doxycycline is now suggested as empirical treatment for male partners of women with PID to
reduce exposure to macrolide antibiotics which has been associated with increased resistance
in M. genitalium
 references have been updated
 the Grade system for reporting strength of evidence has been adopted

2
Introduction and methodology

Objectives

This guideline offers recommendations on the diagnostic tests, treatment regimens and health

promotion principles needed for the effective management of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

covering the management of the initial presentation, as well as how to reduce transmission,

complications and future repeat infection.

It is aimed primarily at women aged 16 years or older (see specific guidelines for those under 16)

presenting to health care professionals working in departments offering specialist care in STI

management within the United Kingdom. However, the principles of the recommendations should be

adopted across all providers – non-specialist providers may need to develop local care pathways

where appropriate.

Included in the guideline is a patient information leaflet.

Search strategy

The following reference sources were used to provide a comprehensive basis for the guideline:

1. Medline Search

Medline was searched using the search terms: (oophoritis or salpingitis or endometritis or pelvic

inflammatory disease or PID or adnexitis or parametritis or adnexal disease) NOT primary

immunodeficiency; the search was limited to humans and English language papers. The search was
st st
from 1 January 2010 to 1 August 2017 and identified 12 947 titles. Article titles and abstracts were

reviewed and if relevant the full text article obtained. Priority was given to randomised controlled trial

and systematic review evidence.

2. 2015 CDC STD Treatment Guidelines (www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/default.htm)

3. Cochrane Collaboration Databases (www.cochrane.org)

A number of limitations were recognised in the evidence base:

 a gold standard for the accurate diagnosis of PID is not available therefore a pragmatic

approach to diagnosis and treatment is applied in many clinical trials

3
  the evidence base for PID treatment mostly comes from studies from several years ago

which may not reflect recent changes in antimicrobial sensitivity patterns or newer diagnostic

tests, particularly for gonorrhoea. The management recommendations have therefore been

adapted to reflect this.

 there are relatively less data available on the long term effectiveness of therapy compared to

short term resolution of symptoms

Methods

Article titles and abstracts were reviewed and if relevant the full text article obtained. Priority was given

to randomised controlled trial and systematic review evidence, and recommendations made and

graded on the basis of best available evidence. The evidence was compiled by an external information

specialist and reviewed by the authors before being incorporated into the guideline using the BASHH

framework for guideline development. Successive drafts of the guideline were informed by feedback

from the guideline authors. The final draft guideline was used for piloting and external review as

outlined below.

An Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken to assess the relevance of the guideline

recommendations in relation to age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, pregnancy, race,

religion/belief and sexual orientation (Appendix 1).

A lay representative reviewed the guideline and contributed to the development of a patient

information leaflet, with the support of co-author CE. This resulted in a number of changes to improve

the clarity of both documents. The guideline was also reviewed by the BASHH Public Panel.

Piloting and feedback

Health professional and patient views were further sought by piloting a draft of the guideline with a

sample of target users. This was coordinated by the BASHH Clinical Effectiveness Group (CEG) using

health care professionals independent from the writing committee who adopt the guideline into their

clinical practice in a virtual fashion for a period of time and then provide an evaluation using a standard

feedback form.

4
Aetiology

 pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is usually the result of infection ascending from the endocervix

causing endometritis, salpingitis, parametritis, oophoritis, tubo-ovarian abcess and/or pelvic

peritonitis.


1-3
Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis have been identified as causative agents . C.
4,5
trachomatis is the commonest identified cause accounting for 14-35% of cases , whilst

Gardnerella vaginalis, anaerobes (including Prevotella, Atopobium and Leptotrichia) and other

organisms commonly found in the vagina may also be implicated. Mycoplasma genitalium has
6-8
been associated with upper genital tract infection in women and is a very likely cause of PID .
9
Pathogen negative PID is common .

 N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis are detected less commonly in older women with PID

 the insertion of an intrauterine device (IUD) increases the risk of developing PID but only for 4-6

weeks after insertion. This risk is probably highest in women with pre-existing gonorrhoea or C.

trachomatis.

Clinical Features

Symptoms
2,3,11,12
The following features are suggestive of a diagnosis of PID

 lower abdominal pain which is typically bilateral (but can be unilateral)

 abnormal vaginal or cervical discharge which is often purulent

 deep dyspareunia

 abnormal vaginal bleeding, including post coital bleeding, inter-menstrual bleeding and

menorrhagia

 secondary dysmenorrhoea

Signs

 lower abdominal tenderness which is usually bilateral

 adnexal tenderness on bimanual vaginal examination – a tender mass is sometimes present

5
 cervical motion tenderness on bimanual vaginal examination

 fever (>38°C) in moderate to severe disease

A diagnosis of PID should be considered, and usually empirical antibiotic treatment offered, in any

sexually active woman who has recent onset, lower abdominal pain associated with local tenderness

on bimanual vaginal examination, in whom pregnancy has been excluded and no other cause for the
5
pain has been identified. The risk of PID is highest in women aged under 25 not using barrier

contraception and with a history of a new sexual partner. The diagnosis of PID based only on positive
13
examination findings, in the absence of lower abdominal pain, should only be made with caution .

Complications

 women with immunosuppression secondary to HIV may have more severe symptoms associated
14
with PID but respond well to standard antibiotic therapy . No change in treatment
15-17
recommendations compared to HIV uninfected patients is required . (Grade 1B)

 the Fitz-Hugh Curtis syndrome comprises right upper quadrant pain associated with perihepatitis

which occurs in some women with PID, especially by C. trachomatis. Although laparoscopic

division of hepatic adhesions has been performed, there is insufficient clinical trial evidence to

make specific recommendations for additional treatment beyond that for uncomplicated PID.

 a tubo-ovarian abscess should be suspected in patients who are systemically unwell and/or have

severe pelvic pain. The palpation of an adnexal mass, or lack of response to therapy, should

prompt pelvic imaging with ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging

(MRI). Tubo-ovarian abscess is an indication for hospital admission for parenteral antimicrobial

therapy, with appropriate anaerobic cover, and to monitor for signs of rupture or sepsis.

 the randomised controlled trial evidence for whether an intrauterine contraceptive device should be

left in situ or removed in women presenting with PID is limited18-20. In women with mild to

moderate PID the IUD may be left in situ but a review should be performed after 48-72 hours and

the IUD removed if significant clinical improvement has not occurred. The decision to remove the

IUD needs to be balanced against the risk of pregnancy in those who have had otherwise

unprotected intercourse in the preceding 7 days. Emergency hormonal contraception following

removal of an IUD may be appropriate for some women in this situation.

6
 Diagnosis

o PID may be symptomatic or asymptomatic. Even when present, clinical symptoms and signs lack

sensitivity and specificity (the positive predictive value of a clinical diagnosis is 65-90% compared
3,11,12
to laparoscopic diagnosis )

o Testing for gonorrhoea, C. trachomatis and M. genitalium in the lower genital tract is

recommended since a positive result supports the diagnosis of PID and may alter subsequent
3,11,12
therapy (Grade 1B). The absence of infection at this site does not exclude PID however .

o Local availability of M. genitalium testing currently varies but implementation of testing is

strongly recommended to guide the choice of appropriate therapy

o An elevated ESR or C reactive protein, or high blood white cell count, also supports the diagnosis
21
but is non-specific and usually only abnormal in moderate or severe PID.

o The absence of endocervical or vaginal pus cells on Gram-stained examination of a vaginal

smear has a good negative predictive value (95%) for a diagnosis of PID but their presence is
22
non-specific (poor positive predictive value – 17%) .

o Ultrasound scanning is of limited value for uncomplicated PID but is helpful if an abscess or
23
hydrosalpix is suspected . Doppler ultrasound can detect increased blood flow associated with

pelvic infection and may be useful, but it cannot differentiate between PID and other causes of
24,25
increased vascularity such as endometriosis .
26-
o MRI or CT scanning of the pelvis may be helpful in differentiating PID from alternative diagnoses
28
but are not indicated routinely. MRI, when available, is preferable since it provides high

resolution images and avoids ionising radiation in women of reproductive age.

The differential diagnosis of lower abdominal pain in a young woman includes:

 ectopic pregnancy – pregnancy should be excluded in all women suspected of having PID

 acute appendicitis – nausea and vomiting occurs in most patients with appendicitis but only 50% of

those with PID. Cervical movement pain will occur in about a quarter of women with
29,30
appendicitis .

 endometriosis – the relationship between symptoms and the menstrual cycle may be helpful in

establishing a diagnosis

 complications of an ovarian cyst e.g. torsion or rupture – symptoms are often of sudden onset

7
 urinary tract infection – often associated with dysuria and/or urinary frequency

 irritable bowel syndrome – disturbance in bowel habit and persistence of symptoms over a

prolonged time period are common. Acute bowel infection or diverticular disease can also cause

lower abdominal pain usually in association with other gastrointestinal symptoms.

 functional pain (pain of unknown aetiology) – may be associated with longstanding symptoms

8
Management

It is likely that delaying treatment increases the risk of long term sequelae such as ectopic pregnancy,
31,32
infertility and pelvic pain . Because of this, and the lack of definitive diagnostic criteria, a low

threshold for empiric treatment of PID is recommended (Grade 1B). Broad spectrum antibiotic therapy

is required to cover the wide range of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria commonly isolated from the
2,3
upper genital tract in women with PID .

Some of the best evidence for the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment in preventing the long term

complications of PID comes from the PEACH study where women were treated with cefoxitin followed

by doxycycline – pregnancy rates after 3 years were similar or higher than those in the general
33,34
population . More recent mathematical modelling also supports a low rate of infertility and ectopic
35
pregnancy following effective treatment of PID .

The choice of which of the recommended treatment regimens to use may be influenced by:

 robust evidence on local antimicrobial sensitivity patterns

 robust evidence on the local epidemiology of specific infections in this setting

 cost

 patient preference and compliance

 severity of disease

 patient age – sexually transmitted pathogens are less likely to be the cause of PID in older women
5

 local antibiotic stewardship guidelines

General Advice

Rest is advised for those with severe disease. (Grade 1D)

Appropriate analgesia should be provided. (Grade 1D)

Intravenous therapy is recommended for patients with more severe clinical disease (Grade 1D) e.g.
o
pyrexia > 38 C, clinical signs of tubo-ovarian abscess, signs of pelvic peritonitis.

To avoid reinfection patients should be advised to avoid oral or genital intercourse until they, and their

partner(s), have completed their treatment (Grade 1D).

9
A detailed explanation of their condition with particular emphasis on the long term implications for the

health of themselves and their partner(s) should be provided, reinforced with clear and accurate

written information (Grade 1D). A patient information leaflet is included in Appendix 2 of this guideline.

When giving information to patients, the clinician should consider the following:

 an explanation of what treatment is being given and its possible adverse effects

 that following treatment fertility is usually maintained but there remains a risk of future

infertility, chronic pelvic pain or ectopic pregnancy

 clinically more severe disease is associated with a greater risk of sequelae

 repeat episodes of PID are associated with an exponential increase in the risk of infertility

 the earlier treatment is given the lower the risk of future fertility problems

 future use of barrier contraception will significantly reduce the risk of PID

 the need to screen sexual contacts for infection to prevent re-infection

Outpatient therapy is as effective as inpatient treatment for patients with clinically mild to moderate
33
PID . Admission for parenteral therapy, observation, further investigation and/or possible surgical

intervention should be considered in the following situations (Grade 1D):

 a surgical emergency cannot be excluded

 lack of response to oral therapy

 clinically severe disease

 presence of a tubo-ovarian abscess

 intolerance to oral therapy

 pregnancy

Further Investigation

All sexually active women who are potentially fertile should be offered a pregnancy test to exclude

ectopic pregnancy (Grade 1D).

10
Treatment

The following antibiotic regimens are evidence based.

Recommended Regimens

All the recommended regimens are of similar efficacy.

Outpatient Regimens

*
i.m. ceftriaxone 500mg single dose followed by oral doxycycline 100mg twice daily plus

metronidazole 400mg twice daily for 14 days

36-38
Grade 1A
*
Clinical trial data support the use of cefoxitin for the treatment of PID but this agent is not easily

available in the UK so ceftriaxone, which has a similar spectrum of activity, is recommended.

oral ofloxacin 400mg twice daily plus oral metronidazole 400mg twice daily for 14 days
38-42
Grade 1A

oral moxifloxacin 400mg once daily for 14 days

43-45
Grade 1A

Metronidazole is included in some regimens to improve coverage for anaerobic bacteria. Anaerobes

are of relatively greater importance in patients with severe PID and metronidazole may be

discontinued in those patients with mild or moderate PID who are unable to tolerate it.

Ofloxacin and moxifloxacin should be avoided in patients who are at high risk of gonococcal PID (e.g.

when the patient’s partner has gonorrhoea, in clinically severe disease, following sexual contact
46
abroad) because of high levels of quinolone resistance . N. gonorrhoeae is, however, an uncommon

cause of PID in the UK (< 3%) and in those not at high risk of gonorrhoea quinolones can be used as

first line empirical treatment, with therapy being adjusted subsequently if testing reveals quinolone

resistant N. gonorrhoeae.

11
 47
Levofloxacin is the L isomer of ofloxacin and has the advantage of once daily dosing (500mg OD for
43
14 days). It may be used as a more convenient alternative to ofloxacin .

Three large RCTs support the efficacy of moxifloxacin for PID. There is a potential risk of serious liver

reactions occurring with this agent but they are uncommon (12 cases reported in the UK from 2003-16
48
with no deaths) and moxifloxacin is generally well tolerated (Grade 1D). Of the three recommended

PID treatment regimens, moxifloxacin provides the highest microbiological activity against M.
8
genitalium .

Ofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin are effective for the treatment of C. trachomatis. Quinilones

(ofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin) are not licensed for use in patients aged under 18.

Replacing intramuscular ceftriaxone with an oral cephalosporin (e.g. cefixime) is not recommended

because there is no clinical trial evidence to support its use, and tissue levels are likely to be lower

which might impact on efficacy. Reports of decreasing susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae to

cephalosporins also supports the use of parenteral based regimens when gonococcal PID is

suspected (to maximise tissue levels and overcome low level resistance).

Azithromycin is recommended in some guidelines as additional treatment for uncomplicated

gonorrhoea. It is not recommended for gonococcal PID for the following reasons:

 azithromycin is used to ‘protect’ cephalosporin therapy to try slow down the development of N.

gonorrhoeae resistance but the number of cases of gonococcal PID in the UK is very small (2-

3% of all PID). Therefore its use is unlikely to affect the public health control of antibiotic

resistance.

 use of the ‘non-azithromycin containing’ regimens listed above is clinically effective


49
adherence rates for existing two week PID treatment regimens are poor and the addition of

azithromycin has the potential to cause early discontinuation of medication due to

gastrointestinal side effects.

12
Ceftriaxone provides microbiological cover for N. gonorrhoeae but also other aerobic and anaerobic

bacteria associated with PID. The use of doxycycline plus metronidazole, in the absence of

ceftriaxone, is not recommended because the evidence base is limited, previous trials have reported
50,51 52
significant rates of treatment failure and the addition of ceftriaxone improves treatment outcome .

Alternative Regimens

intramuscular ceftriaxone 500 mg immediately, followed by azithromycin 1 g/week for 2 weeks

53,54
Grade 2B

Clinical trial evidence for this regimen is limited but it may be used when the treatments above are not

appropriate e.g. allergy, intolerance. Single doses of azithromycin have the potential to induce

macrolide resistance in M. genitalium and, if possible, use should be restricted to women who are

known to be M. genitalium negative.

Inpatient Regimens

i.v. ceftriaxone 2g daily plus i.v. doxycycline 100mg twice daily (oral doxycycline may be used

if tolerated) followed by oral doxycycline 100mg twice daily plus oral metronidazole 400mg

twice daily for a total of 14 days

37,38
Grade 1A

i.v. clindamycin 900mg 3 times daily plus i.v. gentamicin (2mg/kg loading dose)

followed by 1.5mg/kg 3 times daily [a single daily dose of 7mg/kg may be substituted])

followed by either oral clindamycin 450mg 4 times daily or oral doxycycline 100mg twice daily

plus oral metronidazole 400mg twice daily to complete 14 days

37
Grade 1A

Gentamicin levels should be monitored if this regimen is used.

Intravenous therapy should be continued until 24 hours after clinical improvement and then switched to

oral (Grade 2D). Intravenous doxycycline is not currently licensed in the UK but is available from IDIS

world medicines (tel. 01932 824100).

13
Alternative Regimens

Clinical trial evidence for the following regimens is more limited but they may be used when the

treatments above are not appropriate e.g. allergy, intolerance:

i.v. ofloxacin 400mg BD plus i.v. metronidazole 500mg TID for 14 days
38-40
Grade 1B

i.v. ciprofloxacin 200mg BD plus i.v. (or oral) doxycycline 100mg BD plus i.v. metronidazole

500mg TID for 14 days

39,55
Grade 1B

Allergy

There is no clear evidence of the superiority of any one of the suggested first line regimens over the

others. Therefore patients known to be allergic to one of the suggested regimens should be treated

with an alternative.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

 PID in pregnancy is uncommon but associated with an increase in both maternal and fetal

morbidity, therefore parenteral therapy is advised although none of the suggested evidence

based regimens are of proven safety in this situation.

 there are insufficient data from clinical trials to recommend a specific regimen and empirical

therapy with agents effective against gonorrhoea, C. trachomatis and anaerobic infections

should be considered taking into account local antibiotic sensitivity patterns (e.g. i.v.

ceftriaxone, i.v. erythromycin and i.v. metronidazole switching to oral therapy following clinical

response and completing 2 weeks of treatment) (Grade 2D).

 use of the recommended antibiotic regimens (listed above for non pregnant women) in very

early pregnancy (prior to a pregnancy test becoming positive) is justified by the need to

provide effective therapy and the low risk to the foetus (personal communication, UK National
th
Teratology Information Service – 11 February 2010).

14
Surgical Management

 laparoscopy may help early resolution of severe disease by dividing adhesions and draining
56
pelvic abscesses but ultrasound guided aspiration of pelvic fluid collections is less invasive
57,58
and may be equally effective

 laparotomy may be required to assess and treat clinically severe pelvic infection

 it is possible to perform adhesiolysis in cases of perihepatitis but there is no evidence on

whether this is superior to only using antibiotic therapy

Follow Up
12
Review at 72 hours is recommended for those with a moderate or severe symptoms or signs (Grade

2D). Failure to improve suggests the need for further investigation, parenteral therapy and/or surgical

intervention.

Further review, either in clinic or by phone, 2-4 weeks after therapy is recommended (Grade 1D) to

ensure:

 adequate clinical response to treatment

 compliance with oral antibiotics

 screening and treatment of sexual contacts

 awareness of the significance of PID and its sequelae

 repeat pregnancy test, if clinically indicated

If initial testing for gonorrhoea was positive, repeat testing should be routinely performed after 2 to 4

weeks. If initial testing for C. trachomatis was positive, repeat testing after 3 to 5 weeks is appropriate

for women who have persisting symptoms or where compliance with antibiotics and/or tracing of

sexual contacts indicate the possibility of persisting or recurrent infection.

The following are recommended if the initial test for M. genitalium is positive:

 treatment with moxifloxacin. This agent currently has good microbiological activity against M.

genitalium (Grade 1D)

15
  repeat testing for M. genitalium following treatment to ensure microbiological clearance.

Treatment failure following the use of any of the recommended regimens has been reported

but is least likely following treatment with moxifloxacin. The optimal time for testing after
59,60
starting treatment is not known but 4 weeks is recommended based on expert opinion

(Grade 1D).

Partner Notification and Treatment of Sexual Partners

 current male partners of women with PID should be contacted and offered health advice and

screening for gonorrhoea and C. trachomatis (Grade 1D). Other recent sexual partners may

also be offered screening - tracing of contacts within a 6 month period since onset of

symptoms is recommended but this time period may be influenced by the sexual history

(Grade 2D).

 gonorrhoea or C. trachomatis diagnosed in the male partner should be treated appropriately

and concurrently with the index patient according to the relevant BASHH guideline at

www.bashh.org (Grade 1D).

 in women with confirmed M. genitalium infection, their male partner(s) should be offered testing

for M. genitalium and, if positive, treated appropriately and concurrently with the index case (for

appropriate treatment regimens see the BASHH Non-specific Urethritis Guideline –

www.bashh.org)

 because many cases of PID are not associated with gonorrhoea, C. trachomatis or M.

genitalium, broad spectrum empirical therapy should also be offered to male partners e.g.

doxycycline 100mg twice daily for 1 week (Grade 2D).

 partners should be advised to avoid oral or vaginal intercourse until they and the index patient

have completed their treatment course (Grade 1D).

16
Auditable Outcome Measures

Appropriate short term audit outcomes include:

 proportion of women receiving treatment with a recommended regimen – target 95%

 proportion of women with suspected PID tested for M. genitalium - target 90%

 proportion of women who are reviewed (face to face, by telephone or online) within 4 weeks of

initiating treatment for PID – target 60%

Recommendations for future research

 assessment of the utility of metronidazole as an adjunctive therapy for patients with mild to

moderate PID

 development of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests

 assessment of efficacy of a single dose versus multiple doses of ceftriaxone within treatment

regimens for the management of PID

Qualifying statement

The recommendations in this guideline may not be appropriate for use in all clinical situations.

Decisions to follow these recommendations must be based on the professional judgement of the

clinician and consideration of individual patient circumstances and available resources.

All possible care has been undertaken to ensure the publication of the correct dosage of medication

and route of administration. However, it remains the responsibility of the prescribing physician to

ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the medication they prescribe.

Editorial independence

This guideline was commissioned, edited and endorsed by the BASHH CEG. The group receives

funding from BASHH for external researcher support which was used in the production of this

guideline.

17
Declarations of interest

All members of the guideline writing committee completed the BASHH conflict of interest declaration

detailed below at the time the guideline’s final draft was submitted to the CEG. JR has received

consultancy fees from BD Diagnostics and GSK pharma, and sponsorship to attend a medical

conference from Janssen pharma.

Author affiliation

 Jonathan Ross, Professor of Sexual Health and HIV, University Hospital Birmingham NHS

Foundation Trust

 Michelle Cole, Head of Antimicrobial Resistance in STIs Section, Antimicrobial Resistance and

Healthcare-Associated Infections Reference Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health

England

 Ceri Evans, Senior Health Adviser, 10 Hammersmith Broadway, Chelsea and Westminster

Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London

 Deirdre Lyons, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Imperial College Healthcare NHS

Trust

 Gillian Dean, Consultant in Sexual Health, Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

 Darren Cousins, Consultant in Sexual Health, Cardiff Royal Infirmary, Cardiff & Vale University

Health Board

 Patient Representative – member of BASHH Public Panel

18
Membership of the CEG

Dr Keith Radcliffe (Chair)

Dr Mark FitzGerald

Dr Deepa Grover

Dr Steve Higgins

Dr Margaret Kingston

Dr Michael Rayment

Dr Darren Cousins

Dr Ann Sullivan

Dr Helen Fifer

Timescale for next revision

An author group will be invited by the BASHH CEG to review and revise the guideline in 2023 using

the BASHH framework for guideline development.

Acknowledgements

The group wishes to thank our public panel member for their hard work throughout the development of

the guideline. In addition, the group wishes to thank the external researcher Dr Jacoby Patterson for

her help in the production of this guideline.

19
Appendix 1: Equality Impact Assessment

Topic suggestion: impact assessment

Guidance title: BASHH Guidelines for the Management of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease 2016.
Completed by Dr Darren Cousins

How relevant is the Inequalities in Potential of Priority for NHS or Topic relevance:
topic to equality? health impact of the guidance to add other government conclusions and
condition or public value department outcome
health issue

- Prevalence and - Inequalities in - Department of - High/medium/low/

impact of access, uptake or Health none
condition or public impact - DCLG, DCSF. - Not
health problem - Timeliness DoT, Home known/inconclusiv
- Prevalence of risk - Equality issues Office, etc. e
factors identified by - Other agency or - Reasons for rating
proposers of this ALB - Recommendation
topic - Agencies in
- Equality issues devolved nations
identified by
patient or lay
organisations
Gender This disease does Clear guidance on Society of Sexual Low
- Women not present in men treatment of male Health Advisers
- Men contact of patients (SSHA)
with this condition

Race The highest rates of Accurate diagnosis Dept of Health Medium

- Asian or Asian STI diagnoses at and better tolerated
British sexual health clinics treatments should
- Black or Black are found among improve the burden
British people of black of disease in the
- People of mixed ethnicity in deprived community
race areas. This is most
- Irish likely seen as a
- White British consequence of a
- Chinese complex interplay of
- Other minority cultural, economic
groups not listed and behavioural
factors.

Disability There are no data None identified Dept of Health Low

- Sensory to suggest any link although use of
- Learning disability between this clinical tests in
- Mental health condition and guideline may
- Cognitive disability status, improve diagnostic
- Mobility although people accuracy in non
- Other impairment with mental health verbalising patients
problems are at
disproportionate
risk of STIs in
general

20
Age Young woman are Accurate diagnosis Dept of Health Medium
- Older people disproportionately and better tolerated
- Children and at greater risk of treatments should
young people this condition in improve the burden
- Young adults common with other of disease in the
sexually transmitted community.
infections

Sexual orientation This disease does None identified Dept of Health Low
and gender identity not present in men.
- Lesbians There are little data Commissioners of
- Gay men on the prevalence local sexual health
- Bisexual people of this condition in services
- Transgender gay or bisexual
people women

Religion / belief There are no data None identified None identified Low
to suggest any link
between religion or
belief and this
condition

Socioeconomic There are no Accurate diagnosis Commissioners of Medium

status specific data to and better tolerated local sexual health
suggest any link treatments should services
between this improve the burden
condition and of disease in the National public
socioeconomic community health agencies that
status, although consider data
people of low collection in sexual
socioeconomic health (e.g. Public
status are Health England)
disproportionately
higher risk of STIs
in general

Other categories There are no data None identified Commissioners of Low

- Gypsy travellers to suggest any link local sexual health
- Refugees and between this services
asylum seekers condition and these
- Migrant workers categories although National public
- Looked after some people in health agencies that
children these categories consider data
- Homeless people may not be collection in sexual
identified by sexual health (e.g. Public
health services Health England)

21
References

 1. Goller J, Fairley C, Guy R, Bradshaw C, Chen M, Hocking J. Aetiology of infections associated

with 1228 cases of pelvic inflammatory disease in an urban Australian sexual health clinic setting.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2014; 41: S59.
 2. Recommendations arising from the 31st Study Group: The Prevention of Pelvic Infection. In:
Templeton A, ed. The Prevention of Pelvic Infection. London: RCOG Press; 1996: 267-70.
 3. Bevan CD, Johal BJ, Mumtaz G, Ridgway GL, Siddle NC. Clinical, laparoscopic and
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