Background:
Partner notification (PN) for
sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is a vital STI control method. The
most recent evaluation of PN practices in the United States, conducted in 1999,
indicated that few STI patients were offered PN services. The objectives of
this study were to obtain a preliminary understanding of the current provision
of PN services in HIV/STI testing sites throughout the US and to determine the
types of PN services available.
Methods:
A convenience sample of 300
randomly selected testing sites was contacted to administer a phone survey
about PN practices. These sites were from a large database maintained by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sites were eligible to participate
if they provided testing services for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV or syphilis
and were not hospitals or Planned Parenthood locations.
Results:
Of the 300 eligible sites
called, 79 sites were successfully reached, of which 74 agreed to participate,
yielding a response rate of 24.7% and a cooperation rate of 93.7%. Most
surveyed testing sites provided some form of PN service (anonymous or
non-anonymous) on site or through an affiliate for chlamydia (100%), gonorrhoea
(97%), HIV (91%) and syphilis (96%) infection. Anonymous PN services were
available at 67-69% of sites. Only 6-9% of sites offered Internet-based PN
services.
Conclusions:
Most surveyed testing sites
currently offer some type of PN service for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV or
syphilis infection. However, approximately one-third of surveyed sites do not
offer anonymous services. Novel, Internet-based methods may be warranted to
increase the availability of anonymous services.
Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/rZS8Kb
By: Fidel A.
Desir A B D, Jessica H. Ladd A and Charlotte A. Gaydos C
A Department
of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North
Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
B Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 North Wolfe Street, 530 Rangos Building, Baltimore, MD 21215, USA.
C Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 East Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: fdesir@jhmi.edu
B Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 North Wolfe Street, 530 Rangos Building, Baltimore, MD 21215, USA.
C Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 East Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: fdesir@jhmi.edu
Sex Health. 2016 Feb 4. doi: 10.1071/SH15136.
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