Abstract

It is estimated, contrary to public opinion and a quick glance at the waiting room of the sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic in Rotterdam, that the incidence of gonorrhoea among foreign immigrants is only a little greater than among the Dutch population. The analysis corroborates the common sense idea that the higher incidence of gonorrhoea among foreign immigrants stems largely from their difficulty in finding sexual partners. To solve this problem is a matter of national policy. It is within the scope of the STD clinics and related organizations to start small-scale experiments to improve the difficult medical situation of the foreign immigrants by lowering the linguistic and cultural barriers between the medical staff and their foreign patients. Research on the sexual habits of the patients is of limited value, and a redirection of our efforts seems necessary to tackle this problem.