Self-care for sexual health and HIV prevention
What is it:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.
Why is it commemorated?
International Self-Care Day is celebrated each July 24th (24/7) to remind us that we should practice self-care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This day promotes tools that people can use to maintain their health, prevent and manage diseases and infections, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections with the intention of promoting comprehensive health care.
How can I practice it?
- Self-management: self- medication, self-treatment, self-examination, self-injection, self-administration, self-use.
- Self-testing: self-sampling, self-screening, self-diagnosis, self-collection, self-monitoring.
- Self-awareness: self-help, self-education, self-regulation, self-efficacy, self-determination.
En el contexto de la labor de Asociación PASMO y nuestro trabajo en salud sexual y prevención del VIH, las estrategias de autocuidado son clave para cerrar brechas y mejorar el acceso de poblaciones vulnerables a los servicios de salud. En 2021 y 2022, PASMO ha lanzado servicios de prueba de VIH autoadministrable y servicios de profilaxis preexposición, o PrEP (por sus siglas en inglés), las cuales la OMS y ONUSIDA consideran como algunas de las principales herramientas de autocuidado y mejores prácticas en programas de VIH.
Good self-care practices applied to sexual health and HIV prevention:
- • Correct and consistent condom use with water-based lubricant
- Uso de lubricante para evitar la fricción y rompimiento de preservativo
- • Regular HIV testing
- • Use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
- • Participation in online courses or workshops to learn more about how to improve your sexual health.
Do you want to know how to practice self- care in your sexual health?
