title: Evaluation of HIV prevention and counseling practices of obstetrician/gynecologists in Bogota, Colombia: impact on women's knowledge and risk practices.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, FL 33136, USA. m.miguez@miami.edu
authors.forename: Maria Jose
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Miguez-Burbano
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navas
authors.forename: Mario German
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Forero
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Burbano
authors.forename: Noaris
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shor-Posner
mesh_terms: 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