Which is more likely—for the women who come into your clinic to have a positive pregnancy test or a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD*) or Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI*)?
Which is more serious?
While a pregnancy can significantly alter your life, it is not likely to kill you. The longer you leave an STD untreated, the more life-threatening it can become.
Sparrow Solutions Group sees the value in promoting the life-affirming message to those we serve that any sexual contact puts patients at risk: they need to know if they have an STD.
Many STDs are asymptomatic, so the people who have them continue to spread these diseases and infections without ever having any symptoms. Unfortunately, routine screening programs are not widespread. Social stigma combined with lack of public awareness about STDs often inhibits frank discussion between health care providers and patients about STD risks and the need for testing.
- Enhance current services with sexual risk avoidance message
- Prevent catastrophic and life-threatening risks to women considering abortions
- Further establish PMC credibility as a medical clinic
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that nearly 20 million new sexually transmitted infections occur every year in this country. Each infection is a potential threat to an individual’s immediate and long-term health and well-being, and can lead to severe reproductive complications.
Sparrow Solutions Group recognizes the unique opportunity the PMC has in meeting a woman’s reproductive health care needs for critical information before making decisions that can have irreversible consequences.
For example, if a woman has a sexually transmitted infection, and then has a surgical abortion or a failed medical abortion, (which will result in a surgical abortion), particularly chlamydia or gonorrhea, she’s at risk of developing a pelvic inflammatory infection. Therefore it is critical for her to be tested prior to an abortion.
Additionally, a woman with a negative pregnancy test may have a positive STD test, which may impact her future relationship decisions as she learns the value of sexual risk avoidance.
*While Sparrow Solutions Group recognizes that both the terms STD and STI are used, for the purpose of simplicity, only STD will be used for this document.
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