Genitourinary medicine
In the UK, the continued rise in sexually transmitted infections remains a key public health concern. Since the advent of HIV infection, many genitourinary medicine specialists have also undertaken the management of HIV and AIDS, and there has been a move towards closer links or integration with contraception/family planning under the umbrella of sexual health, creating a continually shifting and developing field. Advances in diagnostic technology, such as the recent nucleic acid amplification tests for gonorrhoea, continue to make this specialty as fascinating and satisfying as ever, combining the science of medicine with the art of clinical practice. This chapter covers some of these recent advances, focusing on the key clinical evidence currently shaping this specialty.