Creating a "health connection" between STD services and primary care.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Men's Health
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Women's health nurse practitioners often encounter male patients seeking treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
• Hypertension is a prevalent comorbidity that may be undiagnosed in men treated for STDs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of hypertension among African-American males treated for STDs by a women's health nurse practitioner.
• To highlight the importance of integrating primary health care services with STD treatment.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 70 African-American males treated for STDs over a seven-month period.
• Analysis of diagnoses, including hypertension, and follow-up care patterns.

Main Results:

• Seventeen (24%) of the males diagnosed with STDs also had hypertension.
• Nine patients with hypertension subsequently received follow-up care from a primary care adult nurse practitioner.

Conclusions:

• Integrating STD treatment with accessible primary health care is crucial for managing comorbidities like hypertension in men.
• Women's health settings can serve as a vital point for identifying and managing chronic conditions in men.