Use your browser's BACK button to return to your page of origin.
Partner notification for HIV and STD in the United States: low coverage for gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, and HIV.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2003;30(6):490-496.
Golden MR, Hogben M, Handsfield HH, St. Lawrence
JS, Potterat JJ, Holmes
KK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the scope of current public health partner-notification
(PN) activities in the United States. GOAL: The goal of the study was to
define what PN services U.S. health departments provide in areas with high
STD/HIV-related morbidity. STUDY DESIGN: The study involved a survey of STD
program staff members in U.S. areas with the highest reported rates of infectious
syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV in 1998. RESULTS: Staff members of
60 (77%) of 78 health departments provided data. PN interviews were conducted
with 7583 (89%) of 8492 cases of syphilis, 23,097 (17%) of 139,287 cases
of gonorrhea, and 26,487 (12%) of 228,210 cases of chlamydia. In areas with
mandatory HIV reporting, 4375 (52%) of 8328 persons infected with HIV were
interviewed for PN. CONCLUSIONS: Except for patients with syphilis, public
health PN services affect only a minority of persons with STD or HIV infection
in high-morbidity areas of the United States.