title: [Access to medical appointments by men with sexually transmitted diseases at a health unit in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil].
abstract: Access to healthcare services is one of the important aspects of the Unified National Health System in Brazil, and the supply and management of such services is the responsibility of municipalities. This study focuses on difficulties faced by men with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in accessing appointments for treatment. This was a qualitative study of men treated at an STD clinic in Fortaleza, Ceará State, Brazil, in November 2003, using content analysis technique and interpretation of interviews, focusing on access as the category. Men with STDs encountered extensive difficulty in accessing medical appointments, even when they used different strategies for this purpose. Scheduling of services is incompatible with patients' available time. At the primary care level, the supply of appointments for STDs scarcely exists. More investment is needed in the Unified National Health System in order to improve access to appointments for men with STDs, and the supply of services should take the population's demand into account.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Universidade de Fortaleza, Fortaleza, Brazil. alix.araujo@secrel.com.br
authors.forename: Maria Alix Leite
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Glória da Conceição Mesquita
authors.initials: Gda C
authors.lastname: Leitão
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001938:Brazil; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000628:therapy*