Pelvic inflammatory disease in adolescents: high incidence and recurrence rates in an urban teen clinic

Study objective To determine pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) incidence and recurrence rates in an urban teen clinic. Design/Setting A retrospective chart review of female patients seen as outpatients over an 18-month period at an urban teen clinic. 192 patients were diagnosed with PID, and the charts of these patients were reviewed in depth. Main outcome measures PID incidence and recurrence rates. Results A PID incidence of 9.7% was identified. Of the adolescent females diagnosed with PID, 47% had recurrent PID. Of the females with recurrent PID, 27% had three or more episodes. Only 36% of adolescent females diagnosed with PID ever reported that their partners had been treated. Conclusions This study suggests a higher incidence of PID as well as PID recurrence in the present clinic-based adolescent population than previously reported. More accurate monitoring of incidence and recurrence rates in well-defined populations of adolescents should be conducted with the hope of identifying effective avenues of intervention.