How Does a Focus on STIs/RTIs Meet Clients’ Needs?

A focus on STIs/RTIs in reproductive health services provides clients with a broader range of services and can improve existing services. Because sexual activity places clients at risk for both unintended pregnancy and STI infection, STI services are a critical component of sexual and reproductive health. Moreover, providers have an obligation to counsel clients on whether various contraceptive methods provide protection against STIs, including HIV.

Providing services related to STIs/RTIs also helps clients develop a better understanding and awareness of their own risk for infection, allowing them to protect themselves and their partners from infection. In addition, providers will be able to appropriately counsel, treat, or refer the many women who come to their clinics for treatment of STI/RTI symptoms.

A focus on STIs/RTIs that takes into account clients’ sexual life, individual circumstances, and social context provides services that are better able to help clients:

• Make informed, realistic, and achievable sexual and reproductive health decisions
• Explore and assess their own risk of infection and initiate preventive health behaviors
• Negotiate safer sexual behaviors and prevent infection
• Make treatment choices that meet their personal and sexual health needs
• Clarify concerns related to sexuality
• Increase their sexual and reproductive health knowledge and promote sharing of that information

As a side benefit, high-quality STI/RTI services can foster trust between clients and providers, improve client satisfaction, and attract new clients in the community, including men and other hard-to-reach groups. Also, strong links to the community can provide support for the community’s role in preventing STIs and RTIs, as a part of achieving and maintaining healthy sexual and reproductive behaviors.

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