In many developed countries, understanding of the morbidity, workload, and epidemiology of sexual health related problems in primary care remains elusive, despite good quality data from specialist clinical settings. Reasons for this deficit in the United Kingdom include a lack of statutory surveillance for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in this setting,¹ the unknown extent of syndromic diagnosis and management in primary care, and anecdotally, reluctance among primary care practitioners to record STIs because of concerns about confidentiality and insurance.

Nevertheless, it is clear that a substantial burden of STIs is managed in primary care in the United Kingdom, with a further shift to primary …