ABSTRACT
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are the most common group of notifiable diseases in many countries. STDs ranked sixth among the 15 most frequently reported disease groups by Ministry of Health (MOH) health facilities, constituting 4.7% of all cases of communicable diseases in 1986–1987. In rural areas in the highlands, the disease was traditionally expected to affect almost every adolescent male as a mark of maturity. More cases of gonorrhea than any other STD have been reported to the MOH since the early 1970s, when it outranked syphilis. The prevalence of chancroid in Ethiopia has not been established reliably by laboratory diagnosis, due to lack of laboratory facilities and complete reliance on clinical diagnosis of the lesions. Sexually transmitted diseases constitute a serious health problem in Ethiopia, the magnitude of which is likely to increase in the near future. Standardization of diagnostic methods and treatment regimens to prevent further increase in drug resistance will be extremely difficult to achieve in Ethiopia.
