With all the attention heaped upon the most deadly sexually transmitted infection of all, HIV, other non-fatal forms of infection have been somewhat neglected, and even overlooked in sexual education. However, incidences of STIs such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea have been dramatically and silently rising in many parts of the world in recent years - though receiving far less attention. It is now recognized that this is a major public health issue, affecting thousands of people, irrespective of background, education or social class. In Sexually Transmitted Infections: The Facts, David Barlow, for thirty years a consultant physician at a large London teaching hospital, describes, in a readable, sensible and light style, the common and rare conditions which are seen in clinic. Case histories drawn from real patients illustrate many of the pitfalls and problems that can arise from misunderstanding how diseases such as herpes or genital warts are transmitted. An important and novel section explains how and why the seemingly reliable tests from a hospital laboratory can be misleading and, in many cases, actually wrong. This new edition has been brought up-to-date with coverage of the new HPV vaccine for cervical cancer, recent work on the aetiology of bacterial vaginosis, evidence on the treatment and management of genital herpes simplex, and a totally revived section on HIV and AIDS. Using the early section on symptoms, the reader is rapidly pointed to the relevant section of the book for explanations and reassurance. Providing essential information on all the main forms of sexually transmitted infections, the book delivers essential, accessible, pragmatic, information that should be read by all adults.
