Developing a Training Module for Female Health Workers for the Diagnosis of Female Reproductive Tract Infections - An Experience in South India

Background: Infections of the reproductive tract in females is a major public health concern because of the associated morbidity. Women often delay seeking care for problems pertaining to the reproductive tract, as they feel shy to take these problems to a doctor, especially a male doctor. Moreover, health services are usually not accessible to the rural people and the urban poor, and the availability of doctors in rural areas is very limited.

Objectives: This task was taken up to plan and prepare a training module for training the female health workers to identify pathological vaginal discharge using a speculum,in the field setting.

Material and Method: Following the systematic step-wise approach, with the involvement of the trainees from the early stages, a training module using the various teaching methods and aids was developed, to provide training in an informal, participative way, keeping in mind the basic education level of the health workers and their age.

Results: Pre-test and post-test evaluation were conducted and the scores were compared and tested for significance. It was found that there was significant difference in the knowledge, attitudes and skills of the health workers after the training.

Conclusions: With a well planned, appropriate training module the female health workers can be trained to identify women with a pathological vaginal discharge in the field, provide the appropriate treatment and refer when indicated. This would overcome the problem of accessibility and availability of the services of a doctor and thus contribute in improving the reproductive health of women in developing countries.