'Suraksha Clinic'- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) testing and treatment Centre
What is 'Suraksha Clinic'?
'Suraksha Clinic' or STI clinics are centres for the treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections free of cost to anyone who walks into the clinics.
Why the service is provided?
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases that are mainly passed from one person to another (that is transmitted) through unprotected (unsafe) sexual intercourse. There are many different sexually transmitted infections with a range of different symptoms. These diseases may be spread through vaginal, anal and oral sex.
The relationship between HIV and sexually transmitted infections is well recognized. The overwhelming majority of HIV infections are sexually acquired, as are STIs. Both conditions arise out of high-risk behaviour and multiple partners. Moreover, the risk of acquiring HIV increases several fold with coexisting STIs because of the damages caused to the sexual organs by the STIs. Hence, prompt and early treatment of sexually transmitted infections is an important strategy for preventing as well as controlling HIV infection.
Since about 6% of the adult population may have STIs, it is essential to provide free and easily available treatment at all health care facilities. Because adequate laboratory test facilities are seldom available, or the patient needs to comeback to get results a simplified approach of diagnosing and treating symptomatic STIs has been devised. This method is known as the Syndromic Management of STIs. This has made STI control feasible even in remote areas. This approach classifies a set of easily recognised symptoms such as genital discharge or ulcers into standardized disease categories which are treated with well defined regimens of drugs of fixed duration.
Where to get services for STI from 'Suraksha Clinic'?
Total 46 (Fourty Six) STI clinics are currently running by West Bengal State AIDS Prevention & Control Society, where free, prompt and complete treatment for STI’s is given. At these STI clinics, trained doctors make accurate diagnosis and provide complete and curative treatment. Importance of completing the full course of treatment is emphasized.
Link between STI’s & HIV
A person who has an STI (urethral discharge or genital ulcer) runs as much as four times the risk of contracting HIV from a sexual partner, than a person who is not infected with STI. An ulcerative STI poses a significantly greater risk of HIV transmission; because the HIV virus can be enter the body more easily through the genital ulcer. HIV virus is present in large numbers in the semen and vaginal fluids of infected persons. Unsafe sexual contact with an infected person enables easy entry of HIV virus especially in the presence of ulcerative lesions on the genitalia. Therefore, because of the strong link between HIV and STI, it is very important to treat all STI’s completely and curatively as early as possible. Correct and consistent use of condoms can protect against HIV and STI, by preventing contact with infected semen and vaginal fluids.
What Services are provided?
'Suraksha Clinic' provides STI treatment services free of cost to those who seek services from the centre. It is staffed by Medical Officer, Counsellor, Staff nurse (optional) and Lab technician (optional).
New Initiatives
WBSAP&CS is going to ensure better access of STI/RTI related services to the people in need by establishing the ‘Suraksha Clinics’ at all those hospitals which are not covered by STI Services under NACP - IV.
Therefore, 26 (Twenty Six) new STI clinics are going to be established at Medical Colleges, Sub-division hospitals & State General Hospitals.