Recent developments in STDs: I. Bacterial diseases.

Bacterial pathogens account for a significant portion of the current STD epidemic in the United States. Gonorrhea, syphilis, and chancroid are especially rife in the nation's poverty pockets. Chlamydial infection, the most common bacterial STD, is prevalent at all socioeconomic levels. A recurrent theme in these diseases is coexisting infection, sometimes involving HIV.