This month sees the final ratification of the revised UK national specialty guidelines, first published in Sexually Transmitted Infections in 1999.¹ We trust they will continue be widely used to underpin best practice in genitourinary medicine. They are available to all via the websites of the UK specialist organisations (www.mssvd.org.uk and www.agum.org.uk) and are also on the database of the Royal College of Physicians Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit (CEEU) (www.rpclondon.ac.uk/college/ceeu/ceeu_guidelinesdb.asp) and the National Guidelines Clearing House, Washington (www.guidelines.gov). The guidelines are commissioned by the Clinical Effectiveness Group (CEG), set up jointly by the Medical Society for the Study of Venereal Diseases and the Association for Genitourinary Medicine. The revision process commenced in 2000 with authors being invited to modify and update their 1999 guidelines. These revised versions were posted on the website for a 3 month period and comments invited. The CEG and the authors concerned considered all suggestions and agreed any modifications to be made. The major considerations throughout were clarity and support by published evidence. The successful outcome is a tribute to collaboration within the specialty as a whole but we are particularly grateful to the authors, writing groups, and webmasters for generously giving their time and expertise. The substantive changes are listed below. There have also been minor changes to the wording of most guidelines to make them clearer.