Potential for bias in studies of the influence of human immunodeficiency virus infection on the recognition, incidence, clinical course, and microbiology of pelvic inflammatory disease.

As the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic affects more women, clinicians are increasingly observing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in HIV-infected women. The extent to which PID is a factor in the recognition of HIV or HIV is a factor in the recognition of PID is unknown. Even less is known about how HIV infection influences the development, clinical course, and microbiology of PID. The paucity of existing data largely results from difficulties in designing studies that are free of bias. Several biases may distort studies of the effect of HIV on the recognition, incidence, clinical presentation and course, and microbiology of PID