Sexually transmitted diseases to be kept at bay

by Priyan de Silva, Matara Sports Cor.

With the gradual rise of HIV positive persons in the island (Approximately 1544 as at 30th June 2012) the National STD and AIDS Control Program (NSACP) and the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka (FPA) conducted workshops to enlighten selected media personnel in the Galle and Matara districts last week. The three day workshop was funded by the European Union.

It was in 1987 that the first Sri Lankan was diagnosed as HIV positive and 25 years later we have 1544 diagnosed cases while it is estimated that 4200 Sri Lankans may be HIV positive. With the increase in tourist arrivals, the number of Sri Lankans being employed and travelling overseas the numbers may increase drastically in the future. As the good old saying goes 'prevention is better than cure' it has been decided that integration of the sexual and reproductive health services with the HIV control program which would maximize the collective outcome.

Dr. Gamini Weerasingha of the NSACP addressing the media men said that "more than 15,000 persons who are diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases (STD) annually attend our clinics.

This is merely the tip of the iceberg and the actual number of new patients is over 200,000. Hence the time has come to take the awareness program to grass roots level.

Sri Lanka can be proud that it has a most efficient Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) service which has been in operation for the past 45 years. Each province is headed by the Provincial Directors of Health Services (PDHS) and the administration runs down to the Public Health Inspectors (PHI) and Public Health Midwives who interact with the community.

There are more than 400,000 pregnancies in Sri Lanka annually and 90% of these females attend these clinics. VDRL tests are carried out on all pregnant mothers resulting in the possibility of the eradication of congenital syphilis from Sri Lanka by 2015.

Reverend P.S.K. Herath pastor of Christ's faith church Fort Matara said that "There was an alarming rise in pre marital sex and homo sexuality in the south and particularly in Matara.

It is sad that the most number of divorces, child molestations and extra marital affairs reported in the Southern Province occur in Matara."

Dr. Sepali Kottegoda project coordinating officer for the FPA and Dr. Gamila Samarasingha of the Department of Sociology of the University of Colombo assisted in conducting the preliminary workshop.