Knowledge, Behaviors, and Treatment Associated with Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A One-Group Pretest-Posttest Study among Vietnamese Patients

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), commonly referred to as venereal diseases, encompass several contagious ailments caused by a diverse array of microorganisms that vary in symptomatology, size, life cycle, and treatment resistance. The pathogens responsible for STDs include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Despite the diversity of STD pathogens, public understanding of transmission, prevention, and treatment remains limited. Additionally, changes in knowledge, behavior, and treatment practices following a non-pharmacological intervention remain controversial.

This research aimed to assess the STD status, knowledge, and behaviors of Vietnamese patients who visited the urology clinic at Le Van Thinh Hospital before and after both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.

A one-group pretest-posttest design was used to assess the impact of two interventions on knowledge, behaviors, and treatment related to STDs. Participants (n=108) were evaluated 1 week and 3 months post-intervention. The interventions included pharmacological treatment, administered according to the Vietnam Ministry of Health guidelines, and a non-pharmacological intervention, including counseling, education, and awareness programs covering STD transmission, complications, prevention (e.g., condom use, health check-ups), and behavioral change. Data were collected through direct interviews, and SPSS was used for statistical analysis, with McNemar’s non-parametric test employed to assess changes over time.

Of all participants, 81.6% had gonorrhea. Remarkably, a complete lack of condom use was noted (100%). Before the intervention, 64.8% of participants were indicated to have a below-average or average level of understanding of STDs, and 100% participated in at least one risky behavior. Health education efforts led to a positive outcome, with 100% of participants showing good awareness. The majority of participants also showed reduced risky behaviors, with 52.8% using condoms. The therapeutic intervention achieved a 100% cure rate after 3 months, but limitations remained in the first week of treatment as three of the selected diseases demonstrated a treatment level of ≤ 25%.

The majority of the STD patients lacked knowledge and had a history of engaging in risky behaviors. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of current treatment protocols as well as the importance of education in increasing awareness and preventing risky behaviors.