[Sexually transmitted diseases and community health services. I. Community diagnosis]

The ambition of Community Health Services in the fight against Sexual Transmitted Diseases (S.T.D.) in developing countries is to enable the exposed population to benefit by cheap but also most efficient preventive and curative measures. This paper mentions and illustrates by examples the different stages of this approach. Community diagnosis identifies the groups and the areas at risk and determines their respective degree of priority, by confronting the epidemiological importance of S.T.D. with the chances of successful attempts to overcome it. The initial evaluation of the endemia is obtained thanks to pertinent epidemiological rates which are collected by a "sentinel notification system" in controlled collectivities or in the population in general. The feasibility of the operations is evaluated by leaning on logistical, psychological and political aspects so as to fix an order of priority.