Synergistic effects of STI Control and HIV prevention Presented at the International Congress of Sexually Transmitted Infections (ISSTDR/IUSTI) 2001, Berlin : Presented at the International Congress of Sexually Transmitted Infections (ISSTDR/IUSTI) 2001, Berlin.

Provision of early and effective treatment of STD impacts on HIV transmission by shortening the duration of a biological cofactor for HIV transmission, which can lead to reduced infectiousness in an HIV positive person or reduced susceptibility in an HIV negative person. In addition, offering good quality STD services, integrated into the existing healthcare centres or set up as special programmes for hard-to-reach populations, such as young people or sex workers, provides unique opportunities to offer and reinforce prevention messages. This care-prevention synergy has been thoroughly documented in projects involving sex workers in the Democratic Republic (RD) of Congo and Côte d'Ivoire, where integrated packages of services have facilitated getting in touch with a large number of women who never sought STD care before, and reinforced the preventive messages, leading to a dramatic decline in new HIV infections over the years. Currently, multiple integrated reproductive service packages, including STD care for youth groups, are being put in place and their synergistic impact on HIV prevention is being investigated.