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Partner notification for sexually transmitted diseases.
CID 2007; 44(Suppl 3):S160-S174.
Hogben M.
Abstract
Partner notification, a principal means of controlling sexually transmitted
diseases, has traditionally been performed by public health professionals.
They interview infected persons and contact the sex partners of these persons
to notify them and convince them of the need to seek evaluation and treatment
(known as "provider referral"). This notification method is labor
intensive; the typical alternative to provider referral is to leave notification
to the infected person (known as "patient referral"). However,
innovations in partner notification, often created by public health professionals
responsible for the practice, have yielded adjuncts and complements to both
provider and patient referral. The present review article covers 4 areas of
innovation: (1) enhancements to patient referral instructions and provider
interview techniques, (2) use of the Internet in partner notification, (3)
the emerging influence of network methods, and (4) expedited partner therapy,
principally through patient-delivered medications or prescriptions. Partner
notification remains necessary, and flexibility, openness to the use of multiple
methods, and collaboration are likely to be helpful.