Treatment of bacterial sexually transmitted diseases.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) cause significant morbidity in the industrialized nations and, even more so in third world countries. Genital ulcerative STD such as herpes genitalis, syphilis, and chancroid have been identified as important risk factors for the spread of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Efficient and safe therapeutic regimen are therefore essential to cure the individual and to prevent spread of STD in the community. In this review, the current treatment guidelines for the bacterial STD gonorrhoea, chlamydial infections, syphilis, and chancroid are summarized and recent therapeutic developments are discussed.