Gay bowel syndrome. The broadened spectrum of nongenital infection.

The spectrum of sexually transmitted diseases has taken on new dimensions with the addition of new types of genital infections, enteric spread of genital infections, and sexual transmission of enteric infections. Many sexually transmitted infections are asymptomatic, and the carrier represents a focus of community infection. The physician should elicit a sexual history from every patient no matter what the presenting complaint; rectal examination with anoscopy should be done in all patients who are found to be at risk.