[Colonic amebiasis due to venereal transmission. Apropos of 2 cases].

Intestinal amebiasis is an ubiquitous disease which is hyperendemic among high promiscuity homosexual males living under temperate climates. Sexual behaviour, especially oroanal contacts which are common in this population, as well as the multiplicity and sometimes anonymity of partners are responsible for this high prevalence. Individual prophylaxis involves local hygiene before intercourse and a decrease in the number of sexual contacts with different partners. Community prophylaxis is essential and consists in information of general practitioners and "gays" about the different means of transmission of amebiasis, its clinical manifestations and the necessity of routine parasitological stool examinations at regular intervals. We report on two cases and discuss these various considerations in the light of data from the literature.