Paramedicine Assignment: STIs Characteristics, Funding, and Changes

This report delves into the health and social characteristics of individuals affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. It examines the demographics of those at risk, including age, gender, and socioeconomic factors, and discusses the health consequences, particularly for women. The report provides an overview of the health services available, including examples of organizations and service access, and how these services are funded within the Australian healthcare system, considering both public and private contributions. It also analyzes the current funding's adequacy. Furthermore, the report proposes changes to the existing system, such as integrating independent transportation networks and mobile clinics to improve access to care, especially for vulnerable populations, and discusses the strengths and limitations of these proposed programs. Finally, it assesses the impact of these changes on the Australian healthcare system, including potential improvements in service delivery and equity.

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Introduction
STIs are most often transmitted through sex .Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and syphilis are
STIs, and they are among the most common infectious diseases. Sexually Transmitted Infections
are serious diseases that require immediate treatment (1). However, some STIs like HIV is not
curable but can be managed. More information and knowledge about STIs makes people more
aware of means which they can use to protect themselves against these infections. STIs can be
transmitted through sex which includes vaginal, anal, or oral sex. People can also get these
infections by sharing personal objects such as basins or coming in contact with damp and moist
objects such as clothes, toilet seats, and wet towels. People who are at high risk of developing
these health hazards are the ones who have more than one sex partner. People who do not use a
condom during sex and those who have sex with people with many sex partners like sex workers.
People who often share sharp objects like needles while injecting intravenous drugs (1,2). It is hard
for people to realize they are having an STI infection unless they have a damaged reproductive
system. This is recognized by unusual discharge and can lead to infertility or problem with vision
and heart or any other body organ. People with STIs infection have a weak immune system
which makes them vulnerable to other diseases (2). Microorganisms which cause STIs hide in
semen, blood, vaginal secretions, and saliva. The main aim of this paper is to discuss health and
social characteristics of people suffering from STIs, how health services regarding STIs are
funded, changes that can be implemented in current system and strength and limitations of
proposed programs in the health sector.

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Health and Social Characteristics of People with Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis
Anyone can get infected with STIs. However, specific populations, especially adolescents
and young adults, are at a higher risk of developing these infections reason been they are
sexually active. Bisexual and guy individuals are also at risk of getting STIs. Centre for Disease
Control (CDC) estimated that every year, 20 million new STIs are reported. Reports from the
CDC indicate that young people between the age of 15-24 years account for 50% of new STIs
even though they only represent 25% of the sexually experienced population. Young adults are
negatively affected by STIs (3). However, females are most likely to suffer serious long term
health effects. Reports indicate that undiagnosed STIs make 24,000 women infertile every year.
Sexually active adolescents aged between 15-24 years are at higher risk of acquiring STIs
compared to older adults due to some combination of genetic, behavioral, and cultural reasons (4).
Nine hundred forty-nine thousand two hundred seventy cases of chlamydia infection among
people aged 15-24 years were reported in 2013, which represents 68% of the total cases of these
infections. Among individuals aged 15-19 chlamydia cases increased by 6.4% between 2009 and
2011. The rates of this infection are high among women as compared to men (4). A study that was
carried out in 2012 and 2013 the percentage of gonorrhea was reported to have decreased among
people aged 15-19 by 11.6% and 1.9% for people aged 20-24 years. In 2013 women aged 15-19
years had the highest rate of gonorrhea.
Women's anatomy exposes them at a unique risk for STIs infection compared to men.
This is because the lining of the vagina is thinner, and it’s more delicate compared to the skin on
the penis, which means it’s easy for the bacteria to penetrate through the vagina. Women are at
risk of experiencing adverse impacts of chlamydia and gonorrhea compared to men because their
signs and symptoms take long before they can be detected (4,5). Most women confuse the

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symptoms of STIs with other infections. This is because they usually have normal discharge, and
in most cases, they confuse the burning and itching with a yeast infection. For men, the release is
not normal, and thus it is easy to recognize a sexually transmitted. STIs can cause severe damage
to the reproductive system making most women infertile (5). Expectant mothers with STIs can
pass the disease to unborn baby during pregnancy or delivery. Some harmful effects that STIs
cause to babies is stillbirth in which a baby is born dead, low birth weight, blindness, deafness,
and brain damage.
The government has made several services available to control the spread of STIs.
Comprehensive STI control services include targeting the community, which is mostly affected.
Healthcare organizations have tried hard to educate people on the ways they can keep themselves
safe and promote safer sex behaviors (6). Governmental and non-governmental organization are
urged to make barrier such as contraceptives which protect people against pregnancy and
infections and educate them on the advantages of using condoms. School and community
programs should deliver suitable sex education to teenagers before they become sexually active.
Health authorities should promote healthcare-seeking behavior in which they encourage the
community to visit healthcare institutions for checkups often (6). This can be done by developing
several number of channels that deliver messages which encourage people who have STIs
symptoms to go for checkups. These services have been available in hospitals and other public
institutions such as schools and churches — this way, people can easily access them.
How Healthcare Services are funded
Healthcare services developed to help against the spread of STIs such as chlamydia,
gonorrhea, and syphilis are financed through a number of ways. These include general tax,
private medical insurance, social insurance which are sometimes enforced in law, and

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hypothecated tax. General taxation can be referred to as direct and indirect funds which are
collected by the government for funding healthcare and other public services (7). General taxation
is the most reliable source of funds, and it is associated with low administrative costs. Taxation
ensures that every citizen has collective access to services regardless of aptitude to pay. The
hypothecated tax, which is a component of general taxation is a way of funding healthcare
services that aims at preventing STIs. This tax is levied for a particular purpose based on the
income of a person. We also have private medical insurance which is run by companies to gain
profits, and individuals pay the contributions (8). It is efficient because the cost of every health
service is made more explicit. Lastly, we have social insurance which is a system that requires
employees and employers make compulsory contributions and premiums underwritten by the
state to protect non-employed groups.
Changes to Implement in the Current System for People with Chlamydia, Syphilis, and
Gonorrhea.
The government can implement several changes in the current healthcare system to
control and manage chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea and ensure that victims of these
infections get quality services. To provide quick access to these healthcare services, hospitals,
and other healthcare units should team up with independent transportation network (9). This
ensures that patients who are victims of these infections can be transported easily to healthcare
facilities to get help. Mobile clinics should be introduced to provide primary care and preventive
services from a van or a bus equipped with all the essentials needed to deliver quality clinical
services. To ensure that people with STIs are taken good care of, the government should provide
direct attention to the target populations (!0). These should also involve educating them in some

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ways in which they can use to prevent the spread of these infections, such as the use of condoms
and abstinence.
Strengths and Limitations of the Proposed Programs
Proposed changes and programs in the healthcare sector are associated with several
benefits. However, the plans are also facing shortcomings. The programs ensure access and
equity, which means people suffering from STIs can easily access healthcare services and get
treated equally with or without capital. The new proposed programs ensure that patients receive
quality and efficiency healthcare services that meet their needs (11). Citizens who are victims of
STIs can now afford health services because the new proposed programs are cost-effective. The
new system and programs ensure that patients get quality healthcare services that meet their
needs. Despite all the advantages associated with the new proposed programs, they also have
some limitations, one of them being lack of adequate access to healthcare services (12). This is
common, especially for people living in more remote areas where transport is reduced. These
programs do not emphasize training and educating people about STIs, which is essential.
Discuss How These Changes Can Impact the Australian Healthcare System
The healthcare system has significantly been affected by changes that have been
implemented to control the spread of gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia. These changes have led
to excellent service delivery through the implementation of an independent transportation
network (ITN). ITN ensures that patients can quickly be ferried from their homes to hospitals in
case they are in critical condition (13). It also ensures that medicine and drugs are transported
quickly to healthcare organizations for patients. Through the new changes which have been
implemented, it has been simple to fund the health system through general taxation, social

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insurance, and private medical insurance (14). New policies introduced to ensure that all patients
are treated equally, and they can easily access health services that have promoted equity in
Australia. Patients are now able to receive high-quality services that meet their needs.
Conclusion
Gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia are STIs that are mainly transmitted through sexual
intercourse. They can also be transmitted through the sharing of sharp objects and personal
objects like towels and innerwear. These infections are common among young people aged 15-
24 years who are sexually active. STIs can take long to be recognized in women compared to
men. They have some more adverse impacts on females because they affect the reproduction
system causing infertility. The government should come with ways which can be used to control
the spread of these infections like creating awareness and educating the community.

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