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Historically, syphilis encompassed all sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and dermatology was a double specialty that involved skin and venereal disease.¹ After the successful debut of penicillin, STDs were treated by generalists rather than by specialists. In 1955, most organizations of dermatology and syphilology dropped the latter appellation and began to focus more exclusively on cutaneous diseases rather than on STDs.² Currently, no medical specialty in the United States has a leading role in treatment of STDs; instead, treatment is provided by public health clinics and private physicians from various specialties including obstetrics and gynecology, urology, infectious disease, general medicine, and dermatology.

In 1986, Ramsay et al³ conducted a survey of dermatologists and residency training directors about the role of dermatology in treating STDs, and they concluded that most of the professionals surveyed felt that most STDs should be treated by dermatologists and desired to increase their role accordingly. Conant⁴ agreed . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Tasneem Poonawalla, MD, PharmD; Tatsuo Uchida, MS; Dayna G. Diven, MD