Widya Hary Cahyati, Margareta Rahayuningsih, Margareta Rahayuningsih, Annisa Aulia Savitri, Dliya Laela Eka Meviana, Fathurrahman Muhammad, Cantika Salya Manikawening Anakita

Community Capacity Building in Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention in Hongkong

Introduction

Community capacity building in sexually transmitted disease prevention in hongkong. Hongkong: Community initiatives boost STD prevention for Indonesian migrant workers. Culturally sensitive education improves sexual health knowledge, attitudes, and reduces stigma.

Abstract

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) represent a persistent and evolving public health challenge globally. In Hongkong, various community-based organizations have been instrumental in reaching underserved populations with culturally competent sexual health services. However, despite the growing importance of community actors, they often operate with limited resources, face inconsistent support from public institutions, and struggle with sustainability. Many community organizations lack sufficient training, funding, data access, and policy influence to operate at full capacity and to scale their work meaningfully. The community service activities carried out in this initiative have shown significant positive outcomes in enhancing the knowledge and attitudes of Indonesian female migrant workers in Hongkong regarding reproductive health and STD prevention. Through culturally sensitive counseling and the distribution of educational leaflets in Bahasa Indonesia, the program successfully reached a population that often faces barriers to health information and services. Participants demonstrated a clear increase in understanding of basic reproductive health topics, including STD symptoms, transmission methods, and preventive behaviors. More importantly, the activities helped normalize conversations around sexual health, reducing stigma and empowering women to seek testing and medical support when necessary. The peer-led approach played a crucial role in building trust and encouraging open dialogue. In conclusion, this initiative demonstrates that targeted, culturally relevant community service activities can effectively improve both awareness and attitudes toward reproductive health among marginalized groups. Strengthening such community-based efforts will be essential for advancing sexual health equity and preventing STDs among migrant populations in Hongkong and beyond.

Review

This abstract presents a timely and highly relevant initiative concerning Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) prevention in Hongkong, specifically targeting Indonesian female migrant workers. The paper's focus on community capacity building aligns with critical public health strategies that emphasize local engagement and culturally competent service delivery for underserved populations. The initiative described here addresses a persistent global health challenge, acknowledging the operational struggles of community-based organizations (limited resources, inconsistent support, sustainability issues) while simultaneously showcasing the profound impact such groups can have. The reported success in enhancing knowledge, improving attitudes, and reducing stigma among a particularly vulnerable group highlights the potential of well-designed community interventions. A significant strength of the described activities lies in their culturally sensitive and peer-led approach. By utilizing counseling and educational materials in Bahasa Indonesia, the program effectively overcame language and cultural barriers that often impede health information dissemination. The abstract clearly articulates that participants demonstrated a "clear increase in understanding" of reproductive health topics, and, crucially, the intervention helped normalize conversations around sexual health. This reduction in stigma and empowerment of women to seek testing and support are invaluable outcomes, demonstrating not just knowledge transfer but a shift in health-seeking behaviors and social perceptions. The peer-led methodology further bolstered trust and encouraged open dialogue, which is essential for sensitive health topics. While the abstract effectively conveys the positive outcomes of the community service activities, a full paper would benefit from elaborating on the broader "Community Capacity Building" aspect mentioned in the title. The abstract primarily focuses on the *impact of service activities* on the target population, rather than detailing how the *capacity of community organizations themselves* (e.g., training, funding, data access, policy influence) was strengthened or how the initiative contributed to their sustainability, as raised in the initial problem statement. Future iterations or the full manuscript should provide methodological details (study design, sample size, specific metrics for "significant positive outcomes"), and address how the lessons learned from this successful program could contribute to a more robust, institutionally supported framework for community capacity building in Hongkong's public health landscape.

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