Since January 1999, copies of all messages and replies have been retained. This article considers e-mail messages received by STD Services in the period January 1999 to May 2000. The publication of a web site has provided numerous benefits for STD Services, its clients, referring health workers, South Australian students and members of the South Australian community affected by STDs. 1 Analysis of unsolicited e-mail sent by visitors to the site gives an insight into the benefits that STD Services can provide via its web site on local, national and international levels. This article offers suggestions for management of e-mail correspondence from visitors to the STD Services web site.
Some limitations apply when considering e-mail content and source.
The country of origin of the message is not always apparent. Messages may deal with more than one subject and not all categories analysed were mutually exclusive or easily defined. Not all e-mail messages specified an STD, many referred to STDs in general, and some specified multiple conditions. Table 2 lists STDs named in e-mails, in order of frequency. Two percent of e-mails came from each of the United Kingdom, Canada and Indonesia.