[Sexually transmitted diseases in free sexual practice. Epidemiological aspects]

One of the major public health preoccupations at present is the incidence of sexually transmissible diseases and their consequences for fertility. At present there is a programme of combined research by the National Institute of Health and the Medical Research (INSERM U 292) and the Director-General of Health (DGS) and the French Committee for Education in Health Matters (CFES). The object of the exercise is to produce a programme for preventing sexually transmissible diseases and then to put in into action in order to find out how practical it is. The programme consists of two phases, the first which has already been completed was to assess how practical the exercise is, and the second phase which is the active pursuit of the enquiry in a random attempt to change things, and this started in November 1986. The first phase tried to test the methods and see whether they were useful forms of research, and also to serve as a base for the programme of prevention. This consists in looking twice a year at the incidence of discharges in men and in women and the characteristics of the patients who are affected. The consultants were a representative sample of general practitioners who work in the Hauts-de-Seine Department. They gave the information voluntarily. There were two measures carried out in the same region of France. The first was informing the public and making the professionals aware of the situation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)