Abstract
Lambeth, Southwark, and Lewisham are three London boroughs that probably have the worst set of indicators of sexual health in the United Kingdom. This area is used to illustrate an urban epidemic of bacterial sexually transmitted infections in an industrialised country with well developed public health infrastructure, and the generalisability of the phase specific model for prevention and control of sexually trasmitted infections. The results show that national strategies for preventing and controlling sexually transmitted infections comprise a limited repertoire of activities that fit with those suggested by the phase specific model. Specific strategies for men and for young black heterosexuals in the most heavily affected areas should be developed. There is, however, insufficient empirical evidence about whether particular interventions introduced at different epidemic stages are effective.