The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on STI and HIV Services in the Netherlands According to Health Care Professionals

Annemarie Reilingh (), Jenneke Van Ditzhuijzen, Thijs Albers, Hanna Bos and John De Wit
Additional contact information
Annemarie Reilingh: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1115 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Jenneke Van Ditzhuijzen: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1115 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Thijs Albers: Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
Hanna Bos: Soa Aids Netherlands, Condensatorweg 54, 1014 AX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
John De Wit: Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 6, 1-13

Abstract: Surveillance data from the Netherlands show that STI/HIV testing decreased at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting barriers to access to STI/HIV care. However, the impact of the pandemic on STI/HIV care may be more complex, and key populations could be differentially affected. The aim of this study was to gain more insight into the impact of COVID-19 on STI/HIV care in the Netherlands from the perspective of STI/HIV care providers. We investigated whether professionals in STI/HIV care experienced changes compared to pre-COVID in access to STI/HIV care for priority populations, demand and provision of STI/HIV care, shifts to online STI/HIV counseling and care, and the quality assurance of STI/HIV care. An online survey was completed by 192 STI/HIV care professionals. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were held with 23 STI/HIV care professionals. According to participants, people in vulnerable circumstances, such as recent migrants and people with low health or digital literacy, may have had difficulties accessing STI/HIV care during the pandemic, especially during lockdowns and at public sexual health services. Hence, these may not have received the care they needed. Participants thought that COVID-19 measures may have compounded existing disparities. Furthermore, participants found that online care provision was not up to standard and were concerned about follow-up care for patients using private online providers of remote tests. It is important to explore how STI/HIV care for people in vulnerable circumstances can be ensured in future public health crises.

Keywords: COVID-19; STI/HIV care; sexual health; public health service; healthcare professionals; access to healthcare (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/6/678/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/6/678/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:6:p:678-:d:1401656

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().