Town seeks prevention of sexually transmitted infections

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Alarmed by the growing number of Sexually Transmitted Infections, (STI) a town councilor is batting for a social hygiene clinic.

Councilor Roderick Awingan is seeking a close monitoring of STIs in the Valley.

The Municipal Health Center of La Trinidad reported 114 STI cases from 2008 to 2010, excluding those who by reason of privacy and confidentiality opted to seek consultation and treatment private clinics or hospitals instead.

He said “the growing number of STI cases in the Municipality there is an eminent need for the integration of a social hygiene clinic in the Municipal Health Office.”

Awingan said the move is to expansively provide STI management and HIV Counseling and testing to its affected constituents.

The services to be offered in the proposed La Trinidad Social Hygiene Clinic will be Information and Education, Risk Assessment, STI Case Management, Referral to treatment hubs, Counseling on the prevention of unintended pregnancies, Counseling of HIV positive mothers regarding feeding options for their infants, HIV Counseling and testing and Referral to testing center if HIV testing is not available.

Awingan said AIDS has become a leading cause of illness and death among women of reproductive age “especially in countries with a high burden of HIV infection. At the end of December 2007, about 33.2 million people were living with HIV worldwide.”

The alderman said the Valley needs to mount a HIV prevention of mother to child transmission program appropriate to the county’s needs.

In line with this direction, there is a need to come up with policies and guidelines that shall serve as a guide for health care providers over the country.