Books: real and venereal

Dr. Shaila Anne Silva

People with sexually transmitted infections ( STIs ) are , not surprisingly , stressed and anxious .

British clinics dealing with patients who think they might have caught an STI or actually have one , are called Genito-Urinary-Medicine ( GUM ) clinics , and treat patients confidentially , sensitively , and non-judgmentally .

These true stories of patients attending such clinics are variably humorous or tragic , poignant or memorable . Others are simply odd .

The telling of these emotive tales is not intended to pander to voyeuristic leanings ; rather , I hope they instruct as well as entertain .