STD Control Programme and Condom Programming

STD Control Programme :

STD control is linked to HIV / AIDS control, as behaviours resulting in transmission of STD and HIV are same. HIV is transmitted more easily in the presence of another STD. Hence, early diagnosis and treatment of STD is now recognized as one of the major strategies to control spread of HIV infection.

STD control programme has been in operation in India since 1946. The programme is based on specialized facilities offering clinical services for diagnosis and treatment of STD and relies on the health seeking behaviour of individuals with STD. Patients with STD form a special group for health education and individual counselling.

The facilities currently providing STD control are - 5 Regional STD Reference centres, skin leprosy STD clinics in medical colleges and 504 STD clinics usually located at district hospitals.

Condom Programming :

Among the probable source of HIV infection in India, heterosexual promiscuity constitute the major route. About 75 percent of the infections occur due to unprotected and multipartner sexual contacts. This type of transmission can be prevented by consistent use of good quality condoms.

While the use of condom is easy making a programme to cover the whole country need careful planning on certain issues. These issues are mainly related to following questions :

how to sensitize people for using condoms not only as a family planning method, but also as a protective step against HIV and STD.

how to convince the commercial sex workers and their clients about the importance of use of condom as a means for preventing HIV and STD transmission and

how to make available low cost and good quality condoms for people at the time and place when they need it most.

The three major areas in which NACO has made significant progress in condom programming are quality control of condoms, social marketing of condoms and involvement of NGOs and private voluntary organizations in the programme. NACO has brought in the quality control parameters as specified by WHO.

The unlubricated condoms NIRODH has already been phased put and manufacturers have started adhering to the new specifications.