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Abstract
Minimum standards for STD service delivery in resource poor settings
S Sengupta
West Bengal Sexual Health Project, Calcutta, India
Issue - Developing minimum standards and guidelines for STD service delivery for vulnerable groups in resource poor settings.
Description - The West Bengal Sexual Health Project (WBSHP) aims to increase access to sexual health services by groups vulnerable to STD/HIV. The WBSHP is supporting 45 STD clinics across West Bengal. In order to strengthen STD care, a set of guidelines and minimum standards were developed.
Lessons Learned: The guidelines describe ways in which to design and deliver STD services and recommend: 1. Use of syndromic management protocol where laboratory tests cannot be carried out, 2. Single dose therapies under supervision where choice exist, 3. Taking sexual history from the patient, followed by clinical examination (external examination followed by speculum examination and then a bimanual pelvic examination), 4. Counselling and health education. 5. Partner management, 6. Follow-up to check compliance, 7. Provision of syndromic management equipment and drugs, 8. Referrals for specialist services in case of acute PID, acute lower abdominal pain, scrotal swelling and genital warts, 9. Training service providers for making services user friendly and gender sensitive , 10. Ensuring privacy and confidentiality of services, 11. Locating the clinic close to the target community and keeping clinics open at times that allow easy access and 12. Ongoing training of service providers. The guidelines also specify the training, infrastructure and logistical requirements needed for running cost effective services.
Recommendations: It is important to follow certain minimum standards in STD care in order to improve quality of services, reduce barriers to health seeking behaviours, increase access to STD treatment and increase the flow of patients to STD clinics. These guidelines represent an attempt in India to introduce standardisation for community based STD care within resource poor settings and have helped in improving the quality of STD care.
The XIV International AIDS Conference
Abstract no.
MoPeF4041
Suggested Citation
" S Sengupta ,
Minimum standards for STD service delivery in resource poor settings.
Poster Exhibition:
The XIV International AIDS Conference:
Abstract no.
MoPeF4041"
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