If you experience pain and discomfort in your lower abdomen, accompanied by a mild fever, call your doctor. The pain may mimic appendicitis or an ectopic pregnancy, but you may have a pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in your Fallopian tubes or other reproductive organs. If neglected, PID can cause permanent damage and leave you infertile. Follow your physician's instructions; treatment will probably include bed rest and antibiotics.

PID is transmitted sexually, and using an intrauterine device (IUD) increases the chances for infection. If you have been diagnosed as having PID, your sexual partner should be treated also, and your physician should remove the IUD.