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In recent years training for specialist registrars (SpRs) in GU medicine has undergone a number of changes. In addition, the speciality in general is undergoing modernization and change and issues of workforce planning and consultant job availability have been of particular importance to SpRs. In March 2003 a postal survey of SpRs in the UK was undertaken to evaluate training, future career plans and working patterns. A 59% (69/117) response rate was achieved and overall most SpRs expressed satisfaction with their training. However, a number of concerns were raised with aspects of training, which are discussed in this paper. Nearly half of SpRs will consider working part time in the future and almost two-thirds are interested in job sharing. This is the first survey of its kind in GU medicine and the results are informative to all involved with SpR training programmes and workforce planning in the speciality.

The study objective was to investigate self-reported sexual practices among HIV-positive people in Wales in order to estimate the extent of unprotected sex and to develop services that assist positive people reduce the risk of sexual spread of HIV. A cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey was conducted between February and July 1999 at all open-access HIV outpatient facilities in Wales. All HIV-positive people attending during the study period were invited to enroll in the study. Data were obtained on 104/141 (74%) enrolled patients including 70 (67%) homo/bisexual men. Most (79/104, 76%) were sexually active and 42% (33/79) had casual partners. One in six (13/79, 16.5%) sexually active people reported unprotected high-risk sex with HIV-negative or unknown status partners, the majority (9/13, 69%) of whom were male homosexuals. It is important that health professionals specifically address issues of sexual behaviour with HIV positive people during consultation. A renewed safer sex campaign targeting men who have sex with men is urgently needed.

This study compared the BDProbeTec ET Chlamydia trachomatis amplified DNA assay on urine specimens with culture of genital swabs for the detection of C. trachomatis in patients attending the Department of Genitourinary Medicine (GUM), Cardiff Royal Infirmary. Almost twice as many patients tested positive by BDProbeTec ET than by culture. A similar difference was found for both males and females. The case notes of those patients positive by BDProbeTec ET alone were analysed and a significantly greater number were found to have risk indicators for C. trachomatis infection when compared with age and sex comparable controls, providing clinical validation of our findings. The BDProbeTec ET assay was easy to use, more importantly, the test format features an internal control integral with every sample. The cost per true positive was calculated as comparable with culture. We conclude that the BDProbeTec ET assay is a superior alternative to culture for identifying patients infected with C. trachomatis in the GUM clinic setting.