Brief Encounters
STIS IN PHARMACY PATIENTS
In many countries people with genitourinary symptoms consult pharmacists. García and colleagues studied 227 people with symptoms presenting to 64 pharmacies in Lima, Peru. A significant proportion had an infection; 34% of the men and 12% of the women had gonorrhoea and/or chlamydia. The most common conditions in women were bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis (39%) and candidiasis (8%). In men and women a diagnosis of gonorrhoea and/or chlamydia was associated with a relatively short (<5 days) duration of symptoms. The high level of morbidity shows the importance of including pharmacists in STI control programmes in developing countries at least. See p 142
CONGENITAL SYPHILIS IN ITALY
The resurgence of infectious syphilis in Europe has been well documented, with a resulting increase in the risks of congenital syphilis. Tridapalli and colleagues collected data on 19 205 women who gave birth to …
