Maintaining sexual health in a pandemic
UTHealth campaign aims to keep care going when in-person visits are restricted
The reproductive system does not stop for anything. Not even a global pandemic.
Coronavirus concerns locked down most parts of the economy, which includes regular gynecological visits at most doctor’s offices and clinics. Though medical facilities have remained open for emergency visits or procedures, doctors have recommended postponing regular visits and urge patients to seek telemedicine options.
But what about people who need birth-control refills or treatment for a urinary tract infection? What if a person has questions about sexual health or notices a major change in her menstrual cycle?
Own Every Piece, a campaign run by the UTHealth School of Public Health, wants to fill that void with telemedicine. The campaign started last year with a goal of providing every person with knowledge and access to the contraceptive method that works best for his or her body and lifestyle, said Dr. Kim Baker, executive director.
“Texas and Houston rank high in uninsured and underinsured women with really low access to reproductive health care. They’re considered ‘low on the totem pole,’ and we’re here to change that,” Baker said. “Our goal is to put more access in the Houston area for women who need it.”
The service is made specifically for women who have questions about contraception and other reproductive health medications or need a birth-control prescription or refill.
Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott mandated that stateregulated insurers cover telemedicine appointments.
However, not every appointment can be done virtually.
Though coronavirus testing sites have been set up at Legacy
Community Health’s nine Houston clinics for weeks, walk-in appointments for the un- and underinsured population haven’t stopped. People worried about exposure to a sexually transmitted disease or infection can still be tested and treated.
Non-emergency visits have slowed, and telemedicine appointments are available for chronically ill or traveling patients, said Dr. Vandana Shrikanth, an infectious-disease expert and public health clinician.
Many of her regular patients are not sexually active at this time because of the risk of COVID-19 exposure, Shrikanth said. This includes patients who take PrEP, a pill that helps prevent HIV infection.
“They’re taking coronavirus pretty seriously, and if they are sexually active, they’re sticking to their own live-in partners and not seeking out sex,” she said.
However, patients are still testing positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis and need in-person treatment for those infections. Shrikanth said there are oral substitutes available, but a treatment is best decided by the patient and doctor.
In 2018, Houston had the highest number in the state of total STDs (chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis) recorded at 29,880. It was followed by Dallas (16,251) and San Antonio (13,648).
Chlamydia was the most infectious STD in Houston with nearly 22,000 positive diagnoses that year, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
UTHealth’s researchers found that many people were receiving reproductive health information through social media and other internet spaces. When crafting the campaign, they made sure to be active on all social-media platforms, so people could easily find the credible information.
In response to the need for social distancing, UTHealth partnered with the Houstonbased clinic Your Essential Healthcare and Dr. Teriya Richmond to offer an expanded telemedicine program. There are 19 clinics working with UTHealth.
Telemedicine does not typically work for pregnant women, Richmond said. Because of the nature of their doctor visits, it’s important that they attend in person while wearing proper personal protection equipment, including masks and gloves.
“‘Well-women’s examinations for preventative reasons have been postponed for the time being,” Richmond said. “If there’s a need for an urgent in-office procedure, those can still happen. It’s really up to the provider to triage and assess who should come to the office.”
Richmond likes that telemedicine feels like a face-to-face conversation, even if it includes screens. This helps doctors and patients come up with a plan that works best for the person, she added.
Baker said women’s access to sexual health care is already limited, and no one wants the pandemic to make it harder for them to seek help.
“We can’t predict the future, and we know this is a real need,” Baker said. “It’s even more important for a woman to have these methods at the ready and that we do not disconnect access to them. We want them to have control over their futures and bodies.”
For more information or to make a telemedicine appointment, visit OwnEveryPiece.com.
“Our goal is to put more access in the Houston area for women who need it.”
Dr. Kim Baker