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Syphilis, although the most serious of these diseases,
fortunately remains at a low rate. On the other hand, gonorrhoea
has again increased but to a lesser degree than in the previous
four years. It must be realised that these figures refer to the
number of positive cases of each condition and not to the number
of patients involved. For instance, one patient may have several
complaints or may return several times in the same year due to
reinfection. It has been estimated that about 20% of patients
with gonorrhoea become reinfected within a year.
The group of other genital infections includes a wide range
of conditions, fungal, parasitic and bacterial, which are passed
on by intimate sexual contact; these are:-
Chancroid
Lymphogranuloma venereum
Granuloma inguinale
Non-specific genital infection
Non-specific genital infection with arthritis
Trichomoniasis
Candidiasis
Scabies
Pubic lice
Herpes simplex
Warts (condylomata acuminata)
Molluscum contagiosum
Of these, non-specific genital infections, most commonly
diagnosed in men, is the most important since it accounts for
as many patients as gonorrhoea, but the cause is not yet
clearly known; furthermore, the incubation period is much
longer, the treatment is less effective and recurrences are
possible months or years later, without re-infection.