The report on teenagers not taking precautions against sexually-transmitted diseases is most useful to raise awareness of this important health problem and Philip Carabott's expertise has been a great asset in the setting up and running of the Health Promotion Department's genito-urinary clinic.

A few years ago, the BBC's investigative Panorama programme had found a similar situation among British teenagers that is now worrying Dr Carabott in Malta.

The important British findings were that discos provided the main opportunities for casual sex where boys regarded condoms as off-putting distractions, that young teenage girls were under peer-pressure to have sex and that they (and their mothers) were unaware that the commonest sexually-transmitted infection (Chlamydia) can produce minimal immediate symptoms but long-term infertility.

Our country's holiday location status must also be contributing to escalation of this problem; the very recent re-appearance of syphilis in Malta has probably come from tourists.