Testing for sexually transmitted infections: a brave new world?

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

chlamydial test from a laboratory. However, contrary to this is the more powerful argument that the great majority, probably approaching 90%, of men with asymptomatic urethritis will not have any significant pathogen. This enormous overdiagnosis of a probable, or possible, sexually transmitted infection (depending on how the clinician seeks to explain the finding to the patient) can therefore lead to considerable unnecessary treatment and, as a result of notifying partners, considerable anxiety and damage to relationships, for both the male patients and their female partners.