University Expert on the Prevention and Control of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections

Target audience

Health professionals, laboratory technicians, educators, health workers, health mediators, epidemiologists, and public health professionals in the field of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS

Duration

15 ECTS

Format

Blended

Schedule

From February to June 2027

Price

€1,110

Location

UManresa
Manresa Campus of the Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya
Fundació Universitària del Bages
Av. Bases de Manresa, 1, 08242 Manresa

Discounts and grants

10% discount for UVic-UCC alumni.

This training may be eligible for company funding through the Fundación Estatal para la Formación en el Empleo, depending on the available credit. Alternatively, if the training takes place during working hours, the company may claim the salary costs of the hours the employee spends on their training as PIF – Individual Training Leave.

Module 1. Epidemiological surveillance, prevention and control of HIV and STIs (3 ECTS)

• Epidemiology of HIV and STIs: fundamental concepts and indicators.
• Current epidemiological situation and trends of HIV and the main STIs.
• Epidemiological surveillance systems for HIV and STIs.
• Information sources, notification systems and data quality.
• Surveillance in specific populations and identification of inequalities.
• Monitoring and evaluation of prevention and control interventions and services.
• Role of community services and incorporation of community information into monitoring systems.
• Current challenges in the surveillance, prevention and control of HIV and STIs.

Module 2. Combined prevention of HIV and STIs (3 ECTS)

• Concept and principles of combined prevention of HIV and STIs.
• Biomedical, behavioural and community prevention strategies.
• Sexual health promotion and risk and harm reduction.
• Condom use and other prevention measures.
• HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
• HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
• Antiretroviral treatment as prevention and the undetectable = untransmittable (U=U) principle.
• Screening and early diagnosis of HIV and STIs as preventive strategies.
• Vaccination and prevention of infections related to sexual transmission.
• Emerging preventive strategies.
• Prevention and management of HIV and STIs from Primary Care and other healthcare settings.
• Opportunities to integrate combined prevention into care pathways.
• Coordination between different levels of care, public health and community services.

Module 3. Key populations, vulnerabilities and social determinants in HIV and STIs (3 ECTS)

• Concept of vulnerability and social and structural determinants of health.
• Key populations in the epidemiology and response to HIV and STIs.
• Social inequalities in sexual health and in HIV and STIs.
• Gender and gender inequalities.
• Sexual and gender diversity.
• Migration, sociocultural context and access barriers.
• Stigma and discrimination related to HIV and STIs.
• Intersectionality and accumulation of inequality axes.
• Barriers to access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment and health and community services.
• Specific needs of different populations regarding HIV and STI prevention and care.
• Strategies to improve the accessibility, acceptability and equity of interventions.
• Community participation and involvement of target populations in programme development.
• Rights, equity and non-stigmatisation perspective in the prevention and control of HIV and STIs.

Module 4. Diagnosis and clinical management of HIV and STIs (3 ECTS)

• General considerations in the care of people with STIs: history-taking, risk assessment, examination and preventive counselling.
• Screening for HIV and STIs in asymptomatic people: indications, populations, frequency, benefits and controversies.
• Clinical management, diagnosis and treatment of the main STIs: gonorrhoea, Chlamydia trachomatis infection, lymphogranuloma venereum, Mycoplasma infections, syphilis, HPV, trichomoniasis and genital herpes, among others.
• Viral hepatitis, HIV infection and mpox in the context of sexual health.
• Prevention and management of complications and coinfections.
• Clinical follow-up and management of sexual partners.
• Antimicrobial resistance in STIs.
• HPV infection: prevention, vaccination, screening, diagnosis and current challenges.
• Collection, storage and transport of biological samples for the microbiological diagnosis of STIs.
• Main microbiological and molecular techniques for the diagnosis of HIV and STIs.
• Interpretation and application of guidelines, recommendations and scientific evidence in clinical practice.

Module 5. Comprehensive approach to HIV and STIs (2 ECTS)

• From a fear-based approach to the self-care and rights paradigm.
• Community approach to sexual health and the role of community health workers.
• Design, implementation and evaluation of STI prevention and control interventions.
• Chlamydia and gonorrhoea screening in asymptomatic people.
• Quaternary prevention, stigma, sexuality and pleasure.
• Application of qualitative methods to the study of sexual health.
• Active STI detection strategies and identification of risk factors: contact tracing, Respondent Driven Sampling and other methodologies.
• Microbiological diagnosis of HIV and STIs.
• Treatment of HIV and STIs.
• Clinical case resolution and simulation.

Module 6. Healthcare and community approach to HIV and STIs (1 ECTS)

• Specialised care models for HIV and STIs.
• Organisation and operation of a specialised STI clinical unit.
• Community models for sexual health promotion and HIV and STI prevention.
• Screening and early diagnosis in clinical and community settings.
• Care, referral and linkage pathways to health services.
• Role of healthcare professionals and community workers.
• Interventions tailored to the needs of different populations.
• Accessibility, acceptability and proximity of services.
• Coordination between health services and community organisations.

From February to June 2027

Module 1: Epidemiological surveillance, prevention and control of STIs and HIV
15/02/2027 - 14/03/2027

Module 2: Combined prevention
15/03/2027 - 11/04/2027

In-person Module
17/04/2027 - 18/04/2027

Module 3: Social and structural barriers to accessing STI and HIV prevention and control
19/04/2027 - 09/05/2027

Module 4: Diagnosis and clinical management of sexually transmitted infections and the human immunodeficiency virus
10/05/2027 - 09/06/2027

In-person Module
17 and 18 April 2027

Rotational Module
16/06/2027

Academic direction

Dr. Jordi Casabona i Barbarà – Scientific direction
Epidemiologist physician, PhD in Medicine, Master's in Public Health and specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. Scientific director of CEEISCAT and associate professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He has extensive experience in epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and research in HIV and STIs, as well as in leading national and international research projects and networks.

Dr. Cristina Agustí Benito – Scientific coordination
PhD in Experimental and Health Sciences, degree in Biology, epidemiologist. Technical Coordinator at CEEISCAT. She coordinates the research line on innovative strategies for promoting early diagnosis of HIV and STIs, with experience in epidemiology, public health, community interventions, and the development and evaluation of new screening and diagnostic strategies.

Teaching staff

Dr. Cinta Folch Toda
PhD in Public Health and Biomedical Research Methodology, Master's in Public Health and degree in Pharmacy. Director of CEEISCAT and epidemiologist with extensive research experience in HIV and STIs, sexual health, social determinants, preventive behaviours and vulnerable populations. She teaches at UVic-UCC/UManresa.

Jordi Baroja Benlliure
Deputy director of the Association for Sexual and Reproductive Rights. Master's in Public Health, Nursing diploma and degree in Communication Sciences. He has more than 15 years of experience in public health, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, community intervention and project management. He is a teaching collaborator at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and a PhD candidate in Public Health.

Dr. Victoria González Soler
PhD in Medicine, degree in Biology and microbiologist at the Microbiology Department of the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, as well as a researcher at CEEISCAT. She has experience in the microbiological diagnosis of HIV and STIs and in applied research in this field. Her involvement brings specialised expertise in microbiology and laboratory diagnosis to the programme.

Dr. Vicente Descalzo
Internal medicine physician at the Drassanes-Vall d'Hebron STI Unit, with clinical and teaching experience in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and clinical management of HIV and STIs. He is particularly involved in the clinical content of the programme and in simulation activities.

Dr. Xavier Vallès
Microbiologist physician at the Institut Català de la Salut, with experience in epidemiology, public health and research on communicable diseases. He is involved in training on active STI detection, contact tracing and methodologies for accessing and studying hard-to-reach populations.

Dr. Guillem Sirera
Internal medicine physician at the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, with clinical experience in HIV and STIs. He is specifically involved in content related to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, its prevention, screening and management.

Alba Martínez
Family physician with extensive experience in primary care, sexual health and HIV and STI prevention. She is involved in content related to addressing sexual health from primary care, quaternary prevention, and addressing stigma and pleasure.

Juan Leyva
PhD in Nursing and associate professor in the Department of Nursing at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), member of the Nursing Research Group on Vulnerability and Health (GRIVIS). Nurse specialising in family and community health, his research focuses on HIV, affective-sexual health, vulnerable populations, gender perspective and intersectional approaches. He is an expert in qualitative methodology, particularly grounded theory and metasynthesis.

Rubén Mora
Manager at Stop, specialising in community intervention and sexual health. He is involved in content related to the community approach to sexual health and the role of community health agents and workers.

This teaching team is joined by professionals from the organisations and services taking part in the rotational module, particularly the Drassanes-Vall d'Hebron STI Unit, the Centre Jove d'Atenció a les Sexualitats (CJAS) and Stop, who contribute their direct experience of healthcare and community models for prevention, diagnosis, care and linkage to the health system. The module specifically provides for direct contact between students and healthcare professionals and community workers from these three organisations.

Overall, the composition of the teaching staff ensures an interdisciplinary and complementary approach to HIV and STIs, integrating epidemiology and public health, social determinants and rights, combined prevention, community intervention, microbiology, diagnosis and clinical management. This diversity of profiles is consistent with the interdisciplinary nature of the programme.