With the exception of MSM, the offer of free and anonymous HIV testing and counselling does not reach persons who carry a higher risk for HIV. As the risk for STI is higher than for HIV in Germany and there is a low public awareness, HIV counselling should be used for comprehensive sexual health counselling and include the offer for STI testing, Further outreaching efforts and other settings are necessary to reach persons with a low education level and highly vulnerable persons.

The client spectrum has changed considerably during the study period.These changes are related to economic and political developments, as well as to the consequences of immigration laws. For the majority of patients with a migration history, the STD centre is the primary means of access to medical care in Germany. The rapid change in the client spectrum, the patients' limited access to information and to medical care and the resulting changes in epidemiology represent a major challenge for the public health services.

Refugees continue seeking sanctuary in Germany and it can reasonably be expected that their health will be affected by the conditions they lived in before and during flight. Ensuring nationwide care for refugees should be demand oriented, effective and efficient, which requires tackling mostly similar challenges a community level in a consistent manner. The aim must be providing adequate medical care based on the principle of respect for human dignity and ensuring public health standards. Within the currently situation, this basic expectations are often not sufficiently met. Generally accepted national standards, longer-term strategies and sustainable care are not yet achieved noticeably by public health services in Germany.To warrant permanent and sustainable high-quality medical care for refugees, local networks of involved institutions should be established with a longer-term perspective. Moreover, the financially eroded and personnel thinned public health service will only be able to fulfil statutory requirements and expectations of the local, state and federal policy makers for a limited amount of time only. Safeguarding that services are coping with the size of challenges over longer periods of time and anchoring the acquired expertise of medical care for refugees within the public health services, requires immediately better financial and personnel resources. Then the public health services will be a reliable partner supporting all people in Germany, particularly those that require subsidiary and socially-compensatory supply.

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