Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Jun;42(6):314-317.
doi: 10.1016/j.mpmed.2014.03.013.

Partner notification

Helen Ward  1 , Gill Bell  1
Affiliations
Review

Partner notification

Helen Ward et al. Medicine (Abingdon). 2014 Jun.

Abstract

Partner notification is an essential part of case management for sexually transmitted infections. Done correctly it reduces persistent or recurrent infection in the index patient, identifies previously undiagnosed infections, and may thus contribute to reduced transmission in the population. The effectiveness of patient referral of partners can be enhanced through the provision of written information and easy access to tests and medication. A recent systematic review of partner notification found that enhanced partner therapy (helping get treatment to partners more rapidly) reduced re-infection in the index case by almost 30% compared with simple patient referral. Provider referral, where the healthcare worker contacts partners directly, can also be effective, and provides an important service for patients who are wary of informing partners themselves. Partner notification services should be available for all patients found to have a sexually transmitted infection, whether the diagnosis is made in specialist settings, or in primary or community-based care. For patients with HIV, partner notification should be addressed when the infection is first diagnosed and revisited for subsequent partners. Access to specialist partner notification services is an important part of any sexual healthcare system. The professional competencies required to undertake partner notification have now been clearly defined.

Keywords: Contact tracing; HIV prevention and control; HIV transmission; sexual partners; sexually transmitted diseases.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Partner notification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Apoola A., Radcliffe K.W., Das S. Patient preferences for partner notification. Sex Transm Infect. 2006;82:327–329. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Evans J., Bacon L. Managing sexually transmitted infections in community sexual health clinics: an audit of a community service. Int J STD AIDS. 2006;17:486–487. - PubMed
    1. Kissinger P., Mohammed H., Richardson-Alston G. Patient-delivered partner treatment for male urethritis: a randomized, controlled trial. Clin Infect Dis. 2005;41:623–629. - PubMed
    1. Østergaard L., Andersen B., Møller J.K., Olesen F., Worm A.M. Managing partners of people diagnosed with Chlamydia trachomatis: a comparison of two partner testing methods. Sex Transm Infect. 2003;79:358–361. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Golden M.R., Hughes J.P., Brewer D.D. Evaluation of a population based program of expedited partner therapy for gonorrhea and chlamydial infection. Sex Transm Dis. 2007 Aug;34:598–603. - PubMed

Further reading

    1. Golden M.R., Faxelid E., Low N. In: Sexually transmitted diseases. 4th edn. Holmes K., Sparling P., Stamm W., editors. McGraw-Hill; New York, NY: 2007. Partner notification for sexually transmitted infections including HIV infection: an evidence-based assessment.
    1. Society for Sexual Health Advisers . SSHA; London: 2004. The manual for sexual health advisers.http://www.ssha.info/resources Available from:

LinkOut - more resources