Underestimation of patients' risk behaviors is also a factor. Twenty-five percent of all personnel in the Navy have had an STD at least once. During overseas deployments, personnel continue to report having multiple sexual contacts with prostitutes. The need for effective risk-reduction counseling is critical. The following text and the attached algorithms provide a guideline for signs, symptoms, and treatment of the most common STDs as well as an outline for the diagnosis of the most common STD syndromes.
Additional tests add little to the diagnosis except expense and delay.
All STD patients must be interviewed to obtain epidemiological information on sexual contacts to ensure appropriate contact tracing. Local preventive medicine personnel can provide guidance. A leukocyte esterase positive result is typically seen on the first morning, voided urine. Symptomatic individuals have a mucopurulent discharge from the urethra or cervix. Sexually active females in their teens and twenties should be screened during their annual exam.