Medicine Sellers for Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmitted Infections: Effect of a Quasi-Experimental Training Intervention in Bangladesh.
This study used a quasi-experimental pre-post design to test whether short training can improve medicine sellers' (MSs) practices and skills for prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Bangladesh. The training included lectures, printed materials, and identification of referral sites. Difference-in-differences estimation was used to determine the effects of intervention on key primary and secondary outcomes. Advice given by the MSs in intervention group for partner treatment and condoms use increased significantly by 11% and 9%, respectively, after adjusting for baseline differences in education, religion, age, duration of training, and study site. Referral of clients to qualified service providers increased by 5% in the intervention group compared to the comparison group, but this change was not found to be statistically significant. Significantly higher proportion of MSs in the intervention group recognized the recommended medications as per the national syndromic management guidelines in Bangladesh for treatment of urethral discharge and genital ulcer symptoms. Short training intervention was found to be effective in improving MSs' practice of promoting condom use and partner treatment to the clients. We anticipate the need for broad based training programs of MSs to improve their skills for the prevention and control of STI/HIV in Bangladesh.
Global Health Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CR-CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada H2X 0A9 ; School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada H3N 1X9.
Nazmul
N
Alam
Centre for Reproductive Health, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.
Anadil
A
Alam
Global Health Unit, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CR-CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada H2X 0A9 ; School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada H3N 1X9.
Pierre
P
Fournier
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010595:Pharmacists; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*