The first edition of this book appeared 20 years ago, virtually as a single author effort.
This fifth edition comes at a time when the burden of sexually transmitted infections and HIV is at its greatest, yet and with an increasing importance of viral sexually acquired infections and new diagnostic tests.
I am delighted that the fifth edition, and first of the new millennium, is now multi-author, written with colleagues from the Royal Free and University College.
We have tried to capture recent advances at the same time as remaining practical with different approaches to control, diagnosis, and management depending on resources and facilities available.
