Effect of Sexually Transmitted Disease Services in Type B Hospitals on Patient Self-Treatment

Abstract

Background: Self-treatment is still a problem in disease treatment (Rakhmawati and Anggraini, 2010). This is supported by the large availability of drugs that are sold over the counter (Hadi, et. Al., 2010). However, there is not much research data regarding self-treatment by patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and its relationship to hospital services. This study aimed to examine the effect of sexually transmitted disease ambulatory units services at Type B Hospital on patients self-treatment. Methods : The study was an analytic cross-sectional study. A total of 60 patients had their disease checked at the Sexually Transmitted Infectious Diseases Unit at the Dermatology and Venereology Department of the Regional General Hospital Dr. Soetomo Surabaya were selected consecutively and were interviewed about their experience with STD ambulatory services at type B hospitals and self-treatment. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to prove the effect of the services on self-treatment at a significance level of 0.05. Results : Self-treatment was performed by 71.7% of the respondents. The distance to STD services of type B hospital that more than 8 km increased self-treatment (p = 0.042 OR = 4.043 95% CI = 1.050 - 15.568), while age (p = 0.063), gender (p = 0.126), treatment staff (p = 0.197), satisfaction (p = 0.298), type of disease (p = 0.967), duration of illness (p = 0.201) had no effect on self-treatment. Conclusions : Sexually transmitted disease services in type B hospitals did not affect the patients self-treatment behavior, but the distance of more than 8 km to the service increased patients self-treatment. STD services need to be expanded in such a way that the distance to the service is less than 8 kilometers.