Teenage girls treated for pelvic inflammatory disease become highly vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections sometimes just weeks or months after treatment according to researchers,

The results of a study done at Johns Hopkins Children's Center are published in the November 2008 issue of the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The four-year study included 80 inner city girls from Baltimore, ages 15 to 21 who were diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and returned for follow-up. Of those girls, 34 percent were diagnosed with at least one sexually transmitted infection (STI) over a six-month period.

Researchers say their findings suggest that treating PID "with prescription and a brochure" isn't enough to change behavior and prevent future repeat infections.

"Because our findings show PID is not a single isolated incident, doctors should look for ways to change behaviors in girls and not just treat the acute clinical episode. We are talking counseling, we are talking strict follow-up, and, most importantly, we need to develop new strategies that actually work," lead investigator Dr. Maria Trent, a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, said in a Hopkins news release.