Only one person has made seriously stupid comments on this thread, and it isn’t me.

[Daphne – Correspondence on this subject is now closed.]

And now to prove that this speciality is not a figment of anyone’s imagination, and the specialists in the area not the rarity which you seem to be suggesting, I think that you should have a look at the following:

http://www.embarrassingproblems.co.uk/visiting_the_clinic.htm

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/tocrender.fcgi?journal=177&action=archive

http://www.doctoralia.co.uk/consultants/speciality/Genito+urinary+Medicine-22/London-822-1

http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=574

http://medicine.severndeanery.org/genito-urinary_medicine

http://www.medic8.com/GenitourinaryMedicine.htm

http://www.addenbrookes.org.uk/serv/clin/med/gum1.html

http://sti.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/84/1/67

http://www.liv.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught_courses/gu_medicine_and_venereology_diploma.htm

Anyway….there are hundreds more where those came from. Happy reading.

I was suprised yes. And I asked several of my friends and they have never heard of such a speciality either. I have worked in a major Urology center in London , and there was not a single Genito-urinary specialist in the hospital, and I have never heard of one in any of the large hospitals or clinics I worked in. It was the Urologists who did the urinary part, and the Venereologists/Dermatologists who did the STD part, helped by the Physicians specialised in infective diseases , while Public Health Specialists did the prevention bit. And it was the Urology surgeons who , of course did the surgery, but I never heard of Genito_urinary specialists. In fact Dr Carabot is the only such specialist listed in the Maltese Medical Register. And according to Daphne he is retired. Which means that there is not even a single Genito-urinary specialist in Mater Dei. So yes, I’m surprised, not that there is a training curriculum , but that the speciality exists at all. But like I said, I am glad it does exist so I don’t know what you mean to say by your sarcasm, what’s your point?

@ Pepprina: Yes, that’s right. Another virus which is transmitted sexually is the Human Pappilomavirus (HPV). Certain subtypes of this virus give rise to cervical cancer, which makes this type of cancer one which comes about as a direct result of sexual activity. Something to think about.

Look I was wrong, I admit it. I was ignorant. What else can I say but sorry? I have researched the field and there is actualy a full training curriculum for doctors wanting to specialise in genito-urinary medicine.
It’s on http://www.jrcptb.org.uk/Specialty/Documents/Genitourinary%20Medicine%20Specialty%20Training%20Curriculum%20May%202007.pdf
I certainly have no problem with male gynaecologists. Or male pediatricians for that matter. Or male sexual psychologists. As long as practitioners are registered and abide by the ethics of their profession I see no problem at all.
I sincerely apologise for my previous ignorance on this matter and fully support the work done by Dr Carabot and any other such professionals in this field.

[Daphne – Relax. You’re forgiven.]

I am a teacher at a girls’ lyceum. You have no idea how rampant casual sex amongst teenage girls has become. It is the norm not the exception. Girls as young as 11 and 12 think nothing of sleeping around. They have no idea what STDs are all about despite numerous PSD lessons on the subject and couldn’t care less. A relative of mine who happens to be a medical doctor posted at the Gynae/Obstetric ward at Mater Dei frequently has a story to tell about this or that 16/17 year old who is so badly infected she will never be able to have any children at all.