AEGiS-15IAC: Improving the quality and access to youth friendly reproductive health services in the workplace.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Improving the quality and access to youth friendly reproductive health services in the workplace.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. C10427)

Pann S, Meng P
CARE International in Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

BACKGROUND: CARE runs a Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health Program in 125 factories targeting over 50,000 workers. The majority of the workers are uneducated adolescent females whose sexual health risks are increased due to their lack of access and awareness of appropriate health services and their misconceptions about sexual health issues. The health services support project supports the factory health staff in order to improve the access and provide quality youth friendly reproductive health services. Project design/methodology: Capacity building of factory health staff to provide quality RH services to the garment factory workers and strengthen referral networks to external service providers by 1)Providing training to all health staff in the factories on reproductive health, HIV/ AIDS, STI diagnosis and treatment, contraceptive counseling and Social Marketing of contraception. 2)Provide the clinics Contraceptives in collaboration with PSI. 3)Set up a Referral System with partners providing youth friendly, quality reproductive health services. Referrals made by clinic staff and peer educators. 4)Factory Health Staff technical meetings and cross visits to external health service providers.

RESULTS: Clinics will only be utilized by the GFWs if the services meet their needs. The concept of the clinic and peer referral system is popular among GFWs although some social and practical barriers make the reality of implementing such a system complex. The NGO clinics at present are the R&SH provider of choice for most GFWs, while private pharmacies were unpopular.

CONCLUSION: As sexual behavior patterns change among young people in Phnom Penh, the right to access comprehensive R&SH services becomes a key issue. Social stigma, quality of service, attitudes of service providers, and the inconsistencies between the public and private sectors are issues that are currently under-addressed, and warrant further attention by policy and program planners.

Keywords: AEGIS, Reproductive Health Services, Reproductive Medicine, Health, Family Planning Services, Health Planning, Health Services, Workplace, Sexual Behavior, Quality of Health Care, Delivery of Health Care, Counseling, Demography, Health Services Research, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Ambulatory Care Facilities, Health Services Accessibility, United States, Adolescent, Humans, Female, Adolescence, organization & administration, education

040711
C10427