Knowledge about XXXX in rural and periurban communities of the Asaro Valley of Eastern Highlands Province: the health education component of an STD study.

@entity1 @entity249 @entity2953 @entity2209 @entity5860
Community health education played a major role in a study of @entity2953 ( @entity2953 ) and other @entity5860 which we conducted in rural and periurban communities of the Asaro Valley near Goroka in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. We found that most @entity1 had little knowledge about @entity2953 , which they often did not realize were sexually transmitted. Even major signs and symptoms were thought to be normal and many @entity1 had not sought treatment until irreversible damage was done. Knowledge of the complications of @entity2953 , such as @entity249 and @entity2209 , was also slight in these @entity1 . It is apparent that there is a desperate need for more reproductive health education at the community level. In developing our health education methods, we found that simple line drawings of male and female reproductive organs and of @entity1 with different signs of @entity2953 proved useful. These were quick and easy to produce from readily available materials. It was important to separate @entity1 and @entity1 into different groups with educators of the same sex, and to create a very informal atmosphere, encouraging free-ranging discussion. Following health education and sensitive interviewing, almost all the @entity1 selected for the community-based study of the prevalence of @entity5860 consented to vaginal examination, even if they were asymptomatic. Additionally, many nonselected @entity1 requested examination.
