Eficácia do aconselhamento individual para doenças sexualmente transmissíveis (DST) em unidades de referência da cidade de Fortaleza

Abstract

This study aims to estimate the efficacy of individual counseling for patients with Sexually Transmitted Disease. It was conducted from May 2000 to April 2001 in excellency health units for STD in Fortaleza City. These units are following: Gonzaga Mota Hospital, Nossa Senhora da Conceição Hospital, Health Unit Carlos Ribeiro and Health Unit Anastácio Magalhães. These participants have continuously organized the assistance for STD patients and given treatment and condoms. The DST/HIV project that deals with structuring reference health units for STD in the State of Ceará has the participation of the state and city coordination. We had 306 STD patients sample divided at random in two groups. In the first 15 days one group received medical assistance and STD/HIV counseling. In the last 15 days the other group was only given medical assistance. As a demand of the State Ethic Committee we kept offering all patients the anti-HIV test preceded by counseling. Both groups were homogeneous referring to sex, age and knowledge of reading and writing which made possible comparison between them. When returning for the next appointment the patients were interviewed through straight forward questions regarding the treatment, use of condom during the treatment, treatment of the sexual partners, approval of the VDRL and anti-hllV exams and return for reevaluation. An univariate and stratiform analysis of the variable using the EPI-INFO program, version 6.04, was done. The univariate analysis for STD counseling is shown as an efficient guideline for all variable analyzed regardless to sex, age or knowledge of reading and writing, mainly concerned the treatment of the sexual partner (p=0,000; OR=10,96; 1C - 4,49-28,01). In the stratiform analyses, men who were advised seem to follow the treatment more accurately and using condom more often than women (p=0,028 e 0,036) and women seem to come back more often for reevaluation and accept better VDRL exam (p=0,034). Regarding age, people above 30 years when advised seem to follow harder.