Behaviour, knowledge and reactions concerning sexually transmitted diseases: implications for partner notification in Lusaka
Faxelid, E.; Ndulo, J.; Ahlberg, B.M.; Krantz, I.
East African Medical Journal 71(2): 118-121
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0012-835X PMID: 7925040 Document Number: 277950
Sexually/transmitted diseases (STD) and their consequences are a major health problem in Zambia. Partner notification is a strategy to find, counsel, and treat the sex partners of STD patients in the attempt to control the spread of STDs. The authors describe existing health care for STD patients in two urban health centers in Lusaka where partner notification is not functioning optimally with focus upon issues with implications for partner notification such as the number of sex partners identifiable and patients knowledge of and reactions to having an STD. 50 men of mean age 28.9 years and 50 women of mean age 23.7 years with STDs were interviewed at the clinics. 52% were married and 32% were unmarried. The men and women had had symptoms for medians of 5 and 14 days, respectively. STD patients are usually asked to bring their sex partners to the clinic for evaluation and treatment. This study found, however, that some patients were not asked to bring their partners. A majority of the sexual partners during the last three months were known by the patients who were also willing to bring more partners than they were asked to by health personnel. Partners of STD patients in Zambia could therefore be found and treated more extensively than is now the case. The research also found women to be less aware of symptoms connected with STDs and a majority did not know that they were receiving treatment for STD. It is concluded that communication between the health care provider and patients about disease, treatment, and partner notification needs to be improved, especially for women.