Sexually Transmissible Infections in Clinical Practice: A problem-based approach

Patientcareandtraininginthemanagementofsexuallytransmitted infectionshasinrecentyearsseentremendouschanges.Awider rangeofpathogenshasbeenidenti?ed, testsstreamlinedwiththe introduction of newer technologies, evidence-based behavioural interventionsintroduced, andnewtherapeuticagentsandvaccines developed.Atthesametimetherehasbeenapushtowidenaccess to sexual health services and the development of protocol-based managementwherepatientsareoftenledthroughstandardizedh- tories and management guided by ?ow charts all performed by membersofamixedskilledandvariouslyexpertmultidisciplinary team.Observingthisprocessasanoutsidereitherasastudentor postgraduate trainee can be quite bewildering and much of the subtletyguidingmanagementbuiltintotheprocessescanbelost unless one is working with expert clinicians who understand the theoryandscienceunderlyingthesestrategiesandareabletoc- veythistothetrainee. Book Title, Sexually Transmissible Diseases in Clinical Pr- tice, provides a valuable resource to trainees in Sexual Health Medicine. It mimics the consultation process and although not an authoritative textbook on the subject provides the theoretical underpinningformanagementexplainedinanaccessiblewayvery much akin to sitting in on expert consultations in both common and some rarer conditions. It will also help trainees to prepare for Case Based Assessments (CBD) such as those required for trainingprogressiontowardsCCTinGenitourinaryMedicineand guidepreparationfortheclinicalOSCEcomponentoftheDiploma ExaminationinGenitourinaryMedicine. RajPatel 2009 v Preface Thisbookisaimedatseveralgroupsofhealth-careprofessionals whoareinvolvedinthecareofindividualswithoratriskofse- allytransmissibleinfections. With the relentless increase in the prevalence of the sexually transmissible infections in industrialized countries, and greater patients expectations, mostspecialistclinicsareunderconsid- ablepressuretoprovidea?rst-classservice.Onemeansofimpr- ing the performance of such clinics, particularly in the United Kingdom, has been to extend the role of the nurse practitioner. Thishasprovedamostsatisfactorysolutioninmanyclinics.Itis hopedthatthisbookwillproveusefulintheearlytrainingofthe nursepractitionerthroughthepresentationofaseriesofcommon clinicalscenarios. Problem-based learning has become the preferred teaching method in most universities, and it is hoped that undergraduate studentswill?ndthematerialpresentedheretobemorethana- quatetocomplementtheirclinicaltraininginthemanagementof sexuallytransmittedinfections.