NOS news•yesterday, 5:15 p.m
The number of STD consultations at Sexual Health Centers (CSGs) of the GGD decreased in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2023. reported the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the six-month ‘Sexual Health Thermometer’. This relates to 89,386 versus 82,199 consultations, a decrease of 8 percent.
The RIVM notes that fewer women and heterosexual men in particular have gone to STD consultations. For women, the number of jobs went from 34,035 to 29,568, for heterosexual men from 15,242 to 13,324. The number of consultations also decreased among men who have sex with men, but the reduction is proportionally smaller: from 39,059 to 37,915.
However, the percentage of sexually transmitted diseases identified through consultations is still high compared to previous years. For example, the percentage of gonorrhea infections has not decreased and the number of HIV diagnoses is increasing, the RIVM reports. In the first half of 2024, the CSGs made 94 new HIV diagnoses, compared to 68 in the first half of last year.
Fewer consultations
It is not clear to RIVM why the number of consultations has decreased. The health institute suspects that they are linked to higher costs for consultations, and government funding has been the same for years. This means that the GGDs can schedule fewer consultations.
Most consultations at CSGs are for people at increased risk of STDs, such as people who have a lot of sex or men who have sex with men. The registration of fewer consultations could also mean that there is less room for other target groups, such as women and heterosexual men, says the RIVM.
Soa Aids Netherlands is concerned about the new report. “Proper help cannot be given to people with an increased risk of STDs who cannot or do not want to go to a GP,” said Mark Vermeulen, director of Soa Aids Netherlands. According to the foundation, people are not at risk more always want to go to the doctor, because they want to remain anonymous or because of the costs. The consultation with the CSGs is anonymous and free.
Higher health care costs
The health centers worry about the government’s proposed health care cuts. “Fewer tests lead to more infections, and fewer consultations lead to more sexual health problems,” says Vermeulen. According to him, all of this ultimately leads to higher health care costs. “If we want to prevent that, immediate action is needed.”
Therefore STD Aids Netherlands asks the government not to cut back on STD consultations, but to invest in the centers. It also calls for national sexual health initiatives that are necessary to protect vulnerable groups and combat the growing number of STD infections.
2024-11-19 16:15:00
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Questions:
1. How do the decline in the number of STD consultations at CSGs relate to the increasing number of HIV diagnoses?
2. What are the possible reasons behind the decrease in the number of consultations among women and heterosexual men?
3. What measures should be taken to ensure that people who are at risk for STDs have access to proper healthcare services?
4. What are the potential consequences of reducing STD consultations in terms of public health and healthcare costs?
5. How can we effectively address the stigma surrounding STDs and encourage more people to seek out testing and treatment?
