Clinical Implications Research on PID and IUD use reinforces the importance of good clinical care. Screening involves both asking questions and conducting a pelvic examination.
Providers can ask questions to find out about a woman's patterns of sexual behavior.
During the pelvic exam, the provider can check for signs of cervical infection. Cervical infection should be treated, if possible. Once the infection is resolved, the IUD can be inserted, provided the woman will not face a high risk of STDs in the future. Since much of the increase in risk of PID is linked to IUD insertion, the longer-lasting the IUD, the less need for periodic replacement and the less risk of infection over the long term. It is not clear whether administering broad-spectrum antibiotics just before IUD insertion would reduce pelvic infection in the first months of use.