Strategies

Provide prescriptions or medications to patients diagnosed with treatable STIs to give to their partners without provider visits; also called patient-delivered partner therapy (PDPT)

Expand incentives such as scholarships and loans with service requirements and loan repayment or forgiveness programs for health care providers who practice in rural or other underserved areas

Offer programs to help individuals without a high school diploma or its equivalent achieve a high school equivalency credential

Notify partners exposed to an STI of their risk, encourage testing, and refer to services; also called contact tracing, or partner counseling and referral services

Support a combination of land uses (e.g., residential, commercial, recreational) in development initiatives, often through zoning regulations or Smart Growth initiatives

Provide physical infrastructure (e.g., bike parking or showers), educational or social support (e.g., walking groups), and financial incentives that support active commuting

Establish roads that avoid built-up areas such as towns, cities, or commercial/business districts

Expand medical school training and learning experiences focused on the skills necessary to practice successfully in rural areas

Promote walking and biking to school through education, incentives, and environmental changes; often called SRTS

Provide industry-focused education and job training based on the needs of regional employers within specific sectors