Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding sexually transmitted infections among general practitioners and medical specialists in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among specialists-that is, dermatologists, gynaecologists and urologists, and general practitioners (GPs) in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: Interviewers administered structured questionnaires to doctors conducting outpatient clinics at tertiary hospitals and/or private clinics in Karachi. All private clinics within a 10 km radius of the Aga Khan University, and all tertiary hospitals having more than 100 inpatient beds were included in the study. Results: 100 doctors (54 specialists and 46 GPs) responded. 80 doctors reported seeing at least one STI patient/month. The most commonly diagnosed STI the doctors reported was urethritis/ cervicitis syndrome. 50% of the doctors knew the recommended antibiotics for gonorrhoea though only 46% of these knew the correct dosage. Specialists were three times more likely to recognise the clinical presentation of herpes and twice as likely to treat chlamydia, syphilis, and herpes with appropriate antimicrobials than GPs. 85% of the doctors advised their STI patients regarding condom usage; 36% thought that STI patients had loose sexual morals; 43% believed STI patients were drug addicts. Over 90% of the physicians were willing to attend educational sessions and follow a national STI treatment protocol. Conclusion: Doctors in Karachi, especially GPs, are deficient in appropriately managing and counselling STI patients. Among the specialists, urologists and dermatologists were more likely to manage STIs correctly than gynaecologists. Karachi doctors should be educated in the correct management and counselling of STIs to prevent further spread of STIs including AIDS. (Sex Transm Inf 2000;76:383-385)

Knowledge and Attitude of General Practitioners Regarding Autism in Karachi, Pakistan

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Awareness, knowledge and attitudes of dental students in Yeditepe University Faculty of Dentistry towards individuals with HIV/AIDS

“…8 Published studies showed that health care workers are lack of knowledge about diagnosis, the treatment and dental care of HIV/AIDS patients appropriately. 9,10 It was showed that more than half of the medical students thought that treatment of AIDS patients might be dangerous and that their knowledge was not enough to provide dental care effectively. 11 Due to increasing number of HIV/AIDS patients, both dental and medical students must be educated well.…”

Health providers' competence in the management of reproductive tract infections in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic

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