Community Health Promotion and
Education
Health promotion and education are
an integral part of STD intervention activities. Broadly defined, the term
health promotion encompasses five
strategic areas: advocating safer public
policy, providing environments conducive to safer behaviors, strengthening
community action, promoting healthier
personal skills (by providing information, education, and counseling), and
orienting health services toward meeting all health needs. Health promotion
thus involves health education directed
to both society as a whole and the individual. Individual patient health education, person-to-person counseling, and
partner notification have been discussed earlier. We will focus on two aspects of community health education schools and media, and the role of community-based organizations.