The rate of diagnosis and demography of pelvic inflammatory disease in general practice: England and Wales

Knowledge of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) epidemiology is essential to the understanding of reproductive morbidity in women. This paper estimates the rate of PID diagnosis in general practice (GP) and the level of associ ation between PID diagnosis and demographic factors. Diagnoses of PID were made at 1.7% of attendances amongst women aged 16 to 46. Increased risk of PID was associated with smoking (P<0.0001), younger age groups (P<0.0001) a nd lower socioeconomic groups (P<0.0001). Compared to patients who were mar ried, increased risk was also associated with those patients who were widow ed, separated or divorced and not cohabiting (adjusted rate ratio (RR)=1.62 ; confidence Limits (CL) 1.35 to 1.97), and with those who were unmarried b ut cohabiting (adjusted RR=1.32; 95% CL 1.11 to 1.56). General practice is an important focus for the diagnosis and treatment of P ID. If intervention and surveillance are to be undertaken effectively, more has to be known about the epidemiology of this important public health pro blem.