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. 2021 Jun 1;48(6):429-435.
doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001328.

Assessing Partner Services Provided by State and Local Health Departments, 2018

Kendra M Cuffe  1 , Thomas L Gift  1 , Kat Kelley  2 , Jami S Leichliter  1
Affiliations

Assessing Partner Services Provided by State and Local Health Departments, 2018

Kendra M Cuffe et al. Sex Transm Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Surveillance reports have shown that reported sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are increasing. The provision of partner services is an effective tool for preventing and reducing the spread of STDs. We examined partner services provided by health departments and assessed for associations with jurisdiction size, STD morbidity, and region.

Methods: We used stratified random sampling to select 668 local health departments (LHDs) and selected all (n = 50) state health departments (SHDs). Rao-Scott χ2 analyses were performed to examine partner services by health department type (SHD vs. LHD), region, jurisdiction size (LHD only), and STD morbidity (LHD only).

Results: Approximately 49.0% of LHDs and 88.0% of SHDs responded to the survey. Most LHDs (81.6%) and SHDs (79.5%) provided partner services for some STDs (P = 0.63). Compared with SHDs, a higher proportion of LHDs provided expedited partner therapy for chlamydia (66.8% vs. 34.2%, P < 0.01) and gonorrhea (39.3% vs. 22.9%, P = 0.09). Partner service staff performed other activities such as conducting enhanced surveillance activities (23.0% of LHDs, 34.3% of SHDs; P = 0.20) and participating in outbreak response and emergency preparedness (84.8% of LHDs, 80.0% of SHDs; P = 0.51). Associations were found when partner services were stratified by health department type, jurisdiction size, STD morbidity, and region. All LHDs in high-morbidity areas provided partner services and 45.4% performed serologic testing of syphilis contacts in the field.

Conclusions: A majority of STD programs in LHDs and SHDs provide a variety of partner services and partner service-related activities. It is imperative to continue monitoring the provision of partner services to understand how critical public health needs are being met.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest and Sources of Funding: The study was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (FOA OT13-1302: Building Capacity of the Public Health System to Improve Population Health through National, Nonprofit Organizations). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

References

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2018. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats18/STDSurveillance2018-full-report.pdf . Accessed December 21, 2019.
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recommendations for partner services programs for HIV infection, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydial infection. MMWR Recomm Rep 2008; 57:1–83.
    1. Hogben M, Collins D, Hoots B, et al. Partner services in STD prevention programs: A review. Sex Transm Dis 2016; 43(0 0 1):S53–S62.
    1. Golden MR, Hogben M, Handsfield HH, et al. Partner notification for HIV and STD in the United States: Low coverage for gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, and HIV. Sex Transm Dis 2003; 30:490–496.
    1. Cuffe KM, Leichliter JS, Gift TL. Assessing sexually transmitted disease partner services in state and local health departments. Sex Transm Dis 2018; 45:e33–e37.

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