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Using email to notify pseudonymous email sexual partners.
Sex Transm Dis 2007; 11:840-845.
Vest J, Valadez A, Hanner A, Lee J, Harris P.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Quantify the factors associated with reporting sexual partners
only known by, or able to be contacted by, an e-mail address (pseudonymous
partners) and evaluate the efforts of provider partner notification when only
an e-mail address was available. STUDY DESIGN: Persons with pseudonymous e-mail
sexual partners were compared with unmatched controls. Associations were quantified
by odds ratios and the effectiveness of provider partner notification attempts
was assessed by comparison of outcomes of pseudonymous e-mail sexual partners
and sexual partners with traditional contact information. RESULTS: Factors
associated with having pseudonymous e-mail sexual partners included: male
sex, white non-Hispanic, history of prior sexually transmitted diseases, multiple
sexual partners, and reporting male-to-male sexual contact. Efforts at provider
partner notification via e-mail were successful with 49.7% of pseudonymous
partners notified and 40.1% evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: Internet-based forms of
communications can be utilized as means to contact and identify risk partners.
If this avenue is not utilized, public health agencies may be unable to intervene
with a potentially growing percentage of at-risk persons.