Evaluation of HIV prevention and counseling practices of obstetrician/gynecologists in Bogota, Colombia: impact on women's knowledge and risk practices.
The present community-based study in Bogotá, Colombia, investigated risk assessment and preventive counseling practices of obstetrician/gynecologists (ob/gyn n = 34) and their impact on women's (n = 230) knowledge and risk behaviors. The data indicate that physician education has a significant and positive impact on women's knowledge and behavior. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, women instructed by their ob/gyn were 11 times more likely to correctly identify preventive measures (p = 0.0001) and high-risk sexual practices for the HIV /sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) transmission (4x; p = 0.05) and were less likely to engage in high-risk sexual practices (OR = 2; p = 0.05). Few ob/gyns (17%), however, assess risk behaviors and provide risk reduction counseling, and only 6% frequently encouraged HIV testing. These findings highlight the potential public health impact of ob/gyn physicians and underscore the need to increase their involvement in halting the HIV/STD epidemic in Colombia.
Miguez-Burbano
Maria Jose
MJ
University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, FL 33136, USA. m.miguez@miami.edu
Navas
Ricardo
R
Forero
Mario German
MG
Burbano
Ximena
X
Rodriguez
Noaris
N
Shor-Posner
Gail
G
D000328:Adult; D003105:Colombia; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000592:standards*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000592:standards*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D015397:Program Evaluation; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012309:Risk-Taking