Diagnosis and Treatment of Venereal Disease

Abstract

Gonorrhea is the first and syphilis the third most commonly reported of the infectious diseases. In 1970 there were an estimated two million new cases of gonorrhea and 200,000 new cases of infectious syphilis in the United States. Each year finds 10 to 15 percent more cases of gonorrhea being reported, while the number of new cases of syphilis has been about the same over the last decade. The diseases are similar in that they are spread venereally and occur predominantly in persons under 25 years of age. Both diseases respond well to appropriate antibiotic therapy. However, they differ significantly in their clinical presentation and methods of diagnosis. This discussion presents both their similarities and differences.