PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Mahony, J D AU - Bevan, J AU - Wall, B TI - Default patterns of patients attending clinics for sexually transmitted diseases. AID - 10.1136/sti.54.2.124 DP - 1978 Apr 01 TA - The British Journal of Venereal Diseases PG - 124--127 VI - 54 IP - 2 4099 - http://sti.bmj.com/content/54/2/124.short 4100 - http://sti.bmj.com/content/54/2/124.full SO - Br J Vener Dis1978 Apr 01; 54 AB - The influence of gender, propaganda, and treatment methods was studied in relation to default behaviour of patients with sexually transmitted diseases. The overall default rate of men and women was similar, but a larger proportion of men defaulted after the initial visit, while the biggest fall-out in women was after the second attendance at the clinic. The institution of a propaganda campaign was followed by a reduction in defaulting. The statistical significance of this is open to question, however: moreover the observed improvement in default rate was not maintained once the propaganda had been relaxed. Men treated for non-gonococcal urethritis by a regimen which included one injection a week for three weeks showed a highly significantly lower default rate compared with those who received tablets alone.