The medical records of 271 (60.8%) of the 446 persons arrested for sexual offenses in Atlanta, Georgia, [USA] during late 1978 were examined. Sexually transmitted infections were detected in 29.3% of the 237 women examined at the Fulton County Health Department and in 44.1% of the 34 men. Gonorrhea was detected in 47 (19.8%) of the women and in 5 (14.7%) of the men. Screening sexual offenders is an effective way of identifying untreated cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the community; this method should be reassessed elsewhere.