Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #121197

Shannon Johnson, MPH, MPH Program, San Jose State University, 332 Jaycee Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405, 805-781-0925, shanjohnso@hotmail.com, Claudia Diaz-Olavarrieta, PhD, Latin America Regional Office, Reproductive Health, Population Council, Panzacola 62-102 Villa Coyoacan, Coyoacan, Mexico D.F., 04000, Mexico, and Edward Mamary, DrPH, MS, Department of Health Science, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0052.

Background: Patient referral for partner notification is an integral component to congenital syphilis prevention in resource poor settings. Problem-oriented research has focused on the risks, barriers, and poor health outcomes faced by women in developing countries and has precluded a thorough examination of the effective strategies women implement on their own behalf.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to inform patient referral counseling and interventions through an examination of the resilience strategies used by women in Bolivia to successfully notify a partner of syphilis infection and convince him of the need to get treatment.

Study Design: Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nineteen antenatal clients with a positive syphilis diagnosis at four urban maternity centers in Bolivia. The question guide was designed to draw out participants' responses from an empowered view.

Results: Women reported personal, interpersonal, community, and social level strategies and resources related to notifying a partner and ensuring partner treatment. Women reported significant benefits of patient referral including enhancing partner communication and ensuring long-term strategic gender interests.

Conclusions: Women intuitively develop personalized strategies within patient referral to fit their diverse situations and partner characteristics. Counseling and interventions that enable and encourage the client to take an active role in planning and implementing their own patient referral strategy may enhance immediate partner treatment outcomes, reduce the risk to the index patient, and, perhaps more importantly, improve the long term gender interests of female index patients.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify three innovative resilience strategies participants report self-implementing in order to notify a partner of syphilis infection
• Articulate two differences between problem-oriented and assets-based inquiries, and one difference in the programs/policies they inspire respectively
• Develop one new strategy for applying an assets-based analysis to their own research/profession

Keywords: Community Assets, International Reproductive Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.