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Can you put situations in context in order to effectively meet the needs of those at increased risk of STBBIs?

  • A Core Competency in the Prevention of Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections (STBBIs)

Consider...
Shawna is a 35 year old Métis woman living in a large city. She has two children and is struggling financially. Although she is currently separated from her husband, they have been talking about getting back together. Shawna is worried she may have contracted an STI, either from her husband or another recent partner, but is afraid to get tested because she doesn't want anyone, and particularly her husband, to find out. Though Shawna has a family physician, she isn't comfortable talking to her and is especially apprehensive about initiating a conversation about her sexual practices.

Do you work in the area of sexual health or STBBI prevention and support? Can you put the situations of your clients in context in order to effectively meet their needs?

Use the questions below to help you self-assess your knowledge, skills, attitudes and practices related to understanding situational contexts. Remember that depending on your role, you may require different levels of proficiency for the various core competencies and it is possible that some of the competencies are not relevant to your work.

  1. Do you know how to assess risk for STBBIs in a non-judgemental manner, while building trust and confidence among your clients? 
  2. Can you name several factors that impact vulnerability to STBBIs and explain how they can interact to further increase risk?
  3. What are some cultural and situational factors that can increase risk for STBBIs among: 1) recently arrived refugee youth, 2) older immigrants who have been in Canada for several years, 3) recent immigrants from socially conservative countries?
  4. Do you understand the principles of patient-centered education and counselling? Are you able to apply these principles to assist your clients in understanding safer sexual practices?
  5. Do counsellors and healthcare providers in your organization have opportunities to discuss client situations and counselling dilemmas in order to support and learn from one another? How can they do so while protecting client confidentiality?

Suggested resources:

This is one of a series of cases on the core competencies for STBBI prevention. View all 26 cases on the core competencies for STBBI prevention.

Have a resource to suggest? Let us know.