How to help stop STIs in your community

This content is from page 337 of A Book for Midwives

Here are some ideas to help prevent the spread of STIs in your community:

Talk to the women you care for about STIs. Some women may feel embarrassed to talk about them, but knowing more may save their lives.
During prenatal checkups, ask women about unusual discharge
or sores on the genitals, or offer to examine them for signs
of STIs.
Organize a group to talk about health topics, including STIs
and HIV.
Support education about sex in your local school. Help parents understand that teaching about STIs, including HIV, helps young people make safer choices later on when they start having sex.

I want my daughters to be safe — but I don’t know what to say. My mother never talked to me about this.

I know what you mean. Can we think of ways to explain this to them?

Talk to men and help them understand the risks of STIs, including the risks to pregnant women and their babies.
Find out from your local medical center, hospital, or Ministry of Health what STIs are the most common in your community.
Find out what medicines to treat STIs work best in your area — and find out what they cost. Learn how to treat STIs, or help women find treatment.
Start a community pharmacy so that it will be easier for people to get medicines and condoms.

This page was updated:01 Mar 2024

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