Partner Notification for HIV and STD in the United States: Low Coverage for Gonorrhea, Chlamydial Infection, and HIV

• Published in: Sexually transmitted diseases Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 490 - 496
• Main Authors: GOLDEN, MATTHEW R., HOGBEN, MATTHEW, HANDSFIELD, H. HUNTER, ST. LAWRENCE, JANET S., POTTERAT, JOHN J., HOLMES, KING K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01-06-2003; Lippincott; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the genital system; Biological and medical sciences; Chlamydia Infections - epidemiology; Chlamydia Infections - prevention & control; Contact Tracing - statistics & numerical data; Endemic Diseases - prevention & control; Female; Gonorrhea - epidemiology; Gonorrhea - prevention & control; HIV; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Human bacterial diseases; Human immunodeficiency virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Medically Underserved Area; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - epidemiology; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - prevention & control; Social conditions & trends; STD; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States - epidemiology; United States Public Health Service - standards; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; United States; North America; America; US; Human; Immunopathology; AIDS; Information; Immune deficiency; Epidemiology; Infection; Gonococcal infection; Sexually transmitted disease; Viral disease; Bacteriosis; Sex partner; Chlamydiosis; Public health
• ISSN: 0148-5717; 1537-4521
• DOI: 10.1097/00007435-200306000-00004

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.