INTRODUCTION OF PARTNER REFERRAL AND TREATMENT FOR CONTROL OF SEXUALLY-TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN A POOR HAITIAN COMMUNITY

Focus group discussions were held with women attending slum-based ante natal clinics and with male partners of pregnant women separately to e valuate knowledge and attitudes regarding sexually transmitted disease s (STDs) and acceptability of a proposed antenatal STD screening and t reatment programme, including partner management. Subsequently, antena tal women found to have a STD were asked to refer their partner(s) for STD treatment. The institution's routine procedure of internal referr al to the curative center was evaluated for loss to follow-up. Focus g roup participants described common STD syndromes, knew that a pregnant woman could transmit a STD to her child, and knew that all sex partne rs needed to be treated for STDs. Discussion participants disagreed on the possibility of asymptomatic STDs and mentioned other ways of cont racting STDs beside sexual transmission. The response to the proposed programme was positive. Of 331 male partners named by antenatal women who were found to have at least one STD, 101 (30%) presented at the cl inic through index referral, and an additional 38 (11.5%) presented be cause of health worker referral. Of the 59 men sent to the curative ce nter for care, only 26 (44%) received treatment. The study demonstrate d that in Haiti, partners of antenatal STD patients can be treated wit hout apparent adverse effects. However, internal referrals to separate treatment centres should be avoided. Following this study, education efforts have emphasized the curable nature of STDs, the threat of vert ical transmission, and frequent asymptomatic presentation of STDs to p romote prevention and treat more partners of STD patients.