ARE THERE SYMPTOMS THAT RELIABLY DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS AND URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS?
The cliché that foul vaginal discharge can be treated with a shot of penicillin is an archaic view of sexually transmitted infections. Unfortunately, asymptomatic carriage of a sexually transmitted infection is so prevalent that many experts now recommend that all teens be routinely screened for these infections.9 However, studies have been unsuccessful in identifying reliable indicators in women who have symptoms. Sexually transmitted infections can cause dysuria, with or without frequency, either from external lesions or by causing inflammation of the urethra, which is known as acute urethral syndrome.7 Two emergency departments retrospectively reviewed presenting symptoms in women of all ages who later tested positive for chlamydia. At Wayne State University in Indiana, of 181 young women who tested positive for chlamydia, 61% complained of abdominal pain, 35% of vaginal discharge, 30% of vaginal bleeding, and 4% of dysuria.10 Of 233 women who tested positive for chlamydia at Albany
