Pelvic inflammatory disease: new diagnostic criteria and treatment.

PID is a common infection in reproductive-age women that presents an enormous public health and economic burden. It is responsible for much short- and long-term morbidity that may necessitate interventions subsequent to the original infection. Mild PID seems to be much more common than severe or "classic" PID, and the importance of early recognition and treatment cannot be understated. Current treatment regimens seem to be effective in terms of immediate clinical efficacy. As we learn more about the frequency and importance of subclinical PID, the true burden of upper genital tract infection upon reproductive age women continues to be elucidated.