Examination and Interpretation of Wet Preparations of Vaginal Specimens

Intended for Practicing Clinicians with Prior Wet Mount Experience

The course begins with a fifteen minute didactic presentation on applicable issues of CLIA regulation, quality control, and interpretation vaginal wet mount (VWM) for common causes of vaginitis. This will be followed by a fifteen minute video that details through the microscope footage of findings on VWM including trichomads, yeast and clue cells associated with BV. The remaining two and one-half hours consists of experiential training, including laboratory practicum on examination of saline and KOH vaginal wet mounts (VWM). During this portion of the training, participants will have an opportunity for group discussion, explanation, and demonstration, as well as practice and return demonstration.

Learning Objectives

  • Practice proper preparation of saline and KOH specimens of vaginal fluid to increase viability of specimens for microscopic evaluation.
  • Perform proper use of the light microscope to improve examination of saline and KOH wet mount specimens.
  • Assess wet mount microscopy specimens to appropriately interpret findings that support diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis

March 30, 2023 from 2:00PM – 5:00PM (PDT)
UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus: San Francisco, CA
Instructors: Sharon Adler, MD, MPH and Lee Fagen, NP

Family Planning

We provide technical assistance and training to family planning providers and promote comprehensive sexual health education and services for low-income Californians.

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Woman practicing using a speculum on a dummy pelvis

Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment Program (Family PACT)

CAPTC provides technical assistance and training to family planning providers in California. Our team has a key role in implementing California’s Family Planning Access Care and Treatment (Family PACT) Program. Family PACT is an innovative program that provides free, comprehensive family planning services to low-income individuals, including adolescents. Administered by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Office of Family Planning (OFP), Family PACT has been operating since 1997.

CAPTC’s health educators and communicators provide a wide array of capacity building tools and technical assistance training to FPACT providers including orientations for providers new to the program, online courses, webinars, and a robust website with resources for both providers and clients.

Check out Family PACT’s website.

Learning Resources

Explore these and other online learning opportunities from the rest of the CAPTC’s programs in our Online Learning database.

Patient-Facing Resources and Fact Sheets

Birth Control Methods
Information on birth control methods and Family PACT coverage for current and prospective Family PACT clients.

Disease Intervention

We train the disease intervention workforce to support individuals with communicable infections and those that may be at risk of infection.

DIS team photo

Disease Intervention Training Center (DITC) 

Since 1995, CAPTC’s Disease Intervention Training Center (DITC) has been funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to train the nation’s disease intervention workforce. Disease intervention specialists (DIS) support people with communicable infections and those who may be at risk of infection. This includes contact tracing, case investigation, partner services, and emergency response.

We create innovative curricula and online training modules on all skill sets necessary for DIS to effectively serve the community. In addition to HIV/STI training, we led national training efforts to address COVID-19. Additionally, we provide training for DIS around various communicable infections from tuberculosis to mpox.

Our staff has decades of experience as contact tracers and outreach workers in STI/HIV disease intervention services. We provide knowledge, tools, and techniques suitable for both beginners and seasoned professionals to excel as a DISs.

Contact us and let us know how we can support you

STI Clinical Training

We support healthcare providers in the Western United States (AZ, CA, HI, NM, and NV) to improve clinical outcomes for those affected by sexually transmitted infections and HIV.

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Upcoming Trainings

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Regional Training Center, National Network of STD Clinical Prevention (NNPTC)

Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CAPTC supports healthcare providers in the western United States (AZ, CA, HI, NM, and NV) to improve clinical outcomes for those affected by sexually transmitted infections and HIV.

We provide in-person and virtual training events, technical assistance, clinical tools, and STI clinical consultation (via the STD Clinical Consultation Network) to support providers in addressing the rise of STIs in their communities. We focus on complex issues in patient care including evolving PrEP modalities, congenital syphilis management and prevention, and complications of gonorrhea and chlamydia. Our faculty consists of physicians and nurses who are subject matter experts in the field of sexual health with extensive academic, clinical, and public health experience in STI control and response.

The CAPTC Clinical Program has been funded for over 30 years by the CDC and is part of the National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers (NNPTC). CAPTC also has a long-standing partnership with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) STD Control Branch to deliver training on STI diagnosis and treatment to California counties experiencing high rates of STIs. CDPH and CAPTC regularly collaborate on issuing statewide guidance related to STI screening and treatment, as well as creating co-branded job aids and educational materials for providers throughout the state.

CAPTC is also proud to collaborate with San Francisco City Clinic (SFCC), San Francisco’s preeminent municipal STI clinic, to offer observerships in sexual health care. Clinicians interested in arranging a shadowing experience at SFCC of up to 4 half-days (which could potentially be structured to 2 full days, depending on the learner’s needs) can contact us at captc@ucsf.edu to learn more.

Services Offered

Clinicians: Got a Tough STI Question?

We are a proud member of the STD Clinical Consultation Network (STDCCN) Opens in a new tab operated by the NNPTC.

This service is intended for licensed healthcare professionals and STI public health program staff. We do not provide direct medical care, treatment planning or medical treatment services to individuals.

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Addressing Social Determinants of Health Through Structural Interventions

On hold due to COVID-19. Will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.

The course demonstrates the intersectional link between HIV, Social Determinants of Health (SDH), and Structural Interventions (SIs). It provides a structured framework and necessary tools to address the SDH and structural barriers impacting the communities they serve.

The conditions in which people are born, live, learn, play and age greatly influence the health of individuals and communities. By critically examining the role of neighborhood conditions, education, income/wealth, and the socio-political climate, this training will strengthen participants’ understanding of the social determinants of health and their roles in shaping health outcomes of diverse populations.

Examples of programmatic, structural, and policy interventions will be discussed to illustrate how public health departments, advocates, and policymakers can effectively address HIV-related SDHand advance equity for populations and communities that have experienced persistent barriers to good health and high rates of HIV infections.

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Cultural Humility

As individuals, we have our own cultural and life experiences which impact how we view the world, how we make decisions, and how we view others. As providers, it is critical that we are aware of our own personal views and how they may contrast with the beliefs, cultures, and goals of those we serve. These differences can adversely affect our ability to understand the needs of our clients, reach them effectively, and engage them in care and prevention services.

This training provides an overview of the concept and principles of cultural humility, which include lifelong learning and critical self-reflection, recognizing and challenging power imbalances, and institutional accountability. Practicing the principles of cultural humility can improve our ability to meet the diverse needs of the multicultural communities we serve.

This training is appropriate for anyone (direct service provider to policymaker) who is interested in working to address health disparities in their service area.

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Understanding Boundaries

On hold due to COVID-19. Will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.

Personal and professional boundaries are an integral part of any provider-client relationship. This is particularly true for those in the medical and social service delivery fields. Boundaries represent invisible structures imposed by legal, ethical, and/or professional standards. The ability to set and maintain boundaries is critical to ensure effective and successful interactions with clients as well as colleagues.

This training explores the importance of personal and professional boundaries. We look at the ways in which maintaining good boundaries improves client relationships and builds self-sufficiency. We define what constitutes personal versus professional, and legal versus ethical boundaries. Through didactic learning and experiential exercises, participants work to identify the most appropriate actions in situations that may arise when working with clients or colleagues.

This training is appropriate for any organization that has experienced challenges with boundaries or would like to proactively develop a boundary-aware culture.

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Strength-Based Approach

On hold due to COVID-19. Will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.

The Strengths-Based Counseling Model (SBCM) has been used effectively in different settings to promote overall health. This model or approach marks a shift from a traditional deficit-based perspective to one which recognizes clients’ strengths and competencies. It has been successfully implemented via ARTAS to link clients living with HIV to medical care.

This two-day training describes the SBCM and how it can be applied to a variety of concerns and settings related to HIV prevention and care. The principles, techniques, and application of this approach are described, demonstrated, and practiced.

This training builds provider skills in the effective use of the SBCM so they may help clients reduce their risk and promote their engagement and retention in services. The training is appropriate for any community-based organization or health department interested in the application or integration of a strengths-based approach into their service delivery model.

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Stigma

On hold due to COVID-19. Will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.

Stigma has been a major obstacle in combating HIV since the beginning of the epidemic. The communities in the United States disproportionately impacted by HIV are those historically impacted by other types of stigma based on factors such as race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and socio-economic status.

A comprehensive response to stigma is needed in order to impact current health disparities and improve engagement at all levels of HIV treatment and care.

This course examines the sources and repercussions of stigma. It focuses on changes providers can make to respond to the impact that stigma has on risk, prevalence, and access to services.

This training is appropriate for any providers working in HIV prevention or treatment.

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MSM Cultural Sensitivity

On hold due to COVID-19. Will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.

 

Men who have sex with men remain the largest population impacted by HIV in the United States. Disparities in infection rates, as well as access to treatment persist, particularly among men of color.

This course highlights cultural competency as a foundational skill when working with gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. The training enhances providers’ ability to recognize the impact of social factors, such as homophobia, racism, and stigma, on HIV risk. It explores issues of sexual health and spirituality and introduces a holistic wellness model to engage and support men who have sex with men.

The course is appropriate for any organization or provider working with men who have sex with men.

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