UNDERSTANDING LAY PERSPECTIVES - CARE OPTIONS FOR STD TREATMENT IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

Understanding lay persons' perceptions of STD care is critical in the design and implementation of appropriate health services. Using 20 uns tructured group interviews, 10 focus group discussions and 4 STD case simulations in selected sub-populations in Lusaka, we investigated lay person perspectives of STD services. The study revealed a large diver sity of care options for STD in the communities, including self-care, traditional healers, medicine sold in the markets and streets, injecti ons administered in the compounds, private clinics, health centres and hospital. The factors identified as influencing care seeking behaviou r are: lay referral mechanisms, social cost, availability of care opti ons, economics, beliefs, stigma and quality of care as perceived by th e users.