Application
This unit describes the skills and competencies required to conduct health promotion related to sexual and reproductive health for women as part of primary health care services for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities.
This unit applies to those Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers providing a range of primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements define the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria specify the level of performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Develop positive relationships with women | 1.1 Provide regular contact opportunities for women in the community 1.2 Provide opportunities for women to voice their opinions in a safe and supported environment 1.3 Advocate for the rights and needs of women in the community |
2. Promote healthy lifestyle practices | 2.1 Provide information on sexual, reproductive and women’s health to address identified individual and community needs 2.2 Discuss sexual practices and attitudes in relation to their impact on sexual and reproductive health and emotional wellbeing 2.3 Explain methods of contraception within a cultural context 2.4 Work within a multidisciplinary team to promote healthy sexual and lifestyle practices |
3. Identify and discuss women’s health and wellbeing | 3.1 Identify and explain issues relevant to women’s health and wellbeing 3.2 Provide advice about individual women’s health issues in line with organisational guidelines 3.3 Provide emotional support to women and families as appropriate 3.4 Identify and discuss risk factors for women and refer to appropriate support agencies as required 3.5 Deliver, implement and monitor care for women as per health management protocol in accordance with legislative guidelines 3.6 Work with a team to deliver effective health promotion and education for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women using appropriate facilitation, problem-solving and instructional practices |
4. Identify and discuss women’s sexual health | 4.1 Explain risk factors and indicators of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) 4.2 Identify and explain methods of basic management for STIs 4.3 Prepare and present HIV/AIDS information within an STI context at a community level 4.4 Explain principles and procedures of HIV/AIDS testing and provide information as required 4.5 Explain interventions to address issues relating to STIs in the community as required 4.6 Provide advice about sexual and reproductive health issues in line with community needs and organisational guidelines 4.7 Provide information about resources available in the community and state in relation to addressing sexual and reproductive health issues 4.8 Make appropriate referrals to address identified STIs, HIV and sexual and reproductive health issues 4.9 Maintain confidentiality to reflect community and organisation guidelines and in line with notification requirements |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role.
There must be evidence that the candidate has:
communicated effectively in a group and one-on-one environment to promote healthy practices and discuss health issues on at least three separate occasions
provided information and strategies to support the health of at least three women. This includes:
- taking a sexual history
- providing accurate and relevant information and guidance about women’s sexual health in line with identified individual and community needs on at least three separate occasions, including:
o explaining concepts related to sexuality, including:
- sexuality and human sexual response
- sexual behaviour
- at-risk sexual behaviour
- sexual discrimination
o explaining and demonstrating purpose and methods of contraception
- informing clients about STIs including history, transmission, prevention, investigations, management, complications, contact tracing and confidentiality
- exploring, reflecting on and clarifying personal experience and values in relation to sexuality
- making referrals at an appropriate time and to an appropriate person in relation to specific STIs.
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role
This includes knowledge of:
organisation policies and procedures and legislation or regulations relating to:
- client confidentiality
- referral, including various levels of urgency, and follow-up of clients
- mandatory reporting
- notifiable communicable diseases
- limits of own ability and authority
- reporting procedures
- documentation
anatomy and physiology of sexual/reproductive organs
strategies to support women’s health and wellbeing
health prevention screening options for early identification of women’s health issues
impact and treatment of conditions affecting women’s health and wellbeing, e.g. breast screening, cervical screening, domestic violence, sexual assault, menopause, vaginal prolapse and continence issues
healthy sexual behaviours such as:
- safe-sex practices
- contraception
- influence of alcohol and other drug use on sexual behaviours
sexually transmissible infections, including:
- description/definition, statistics, signs and symptoms, universal precautions, common STIs, notifiable STIs
- history of STI in the Aboriginal community and effects of STIs on the community
- transmission, testing and complications related to STIs
- impact on the ability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to have children
- contact tracing/ partner notification
- available ways to prevent, manage and/or treat these diseases
risk factors for contracting STIs/HIV, including:
- relationship between STIs and increased risk of contracting HIV
- unprotected anal, vaginal and oral sex, receptive and insertive
- partners, mother to baby, blood to blood
- unsafe drug injection.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated working:
in a health service or centre
as part of a multidisciplinary primary health care team
with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.
In addition, simulations and scenarios must be used where the full range of contexts and situations cannot be provided in the workplace or may occur only rarely. These are situations relating to emergency or unplanned procedures where assessment in these circumstances would be unsafe or is impractical.
Simulated assessment environments must simulate the real-life working environment where these skills and knowledge would be performed, with all the relevant equipment and resources of that working environment.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
Assessment must be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in this unit of competency and who is:
an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker
or:
accompanied by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care.
Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance. |
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency. |