Partner Notification
Updated:Partner notification is a public health practice where individuals diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) inform their sexual partners that they may have been exposed to the infection. This process aims to prevent the further spread of STIs by encouraging potentially infected individuals to get tested and treated if necessary.
Additional Information
Partner notification can be done in several ways:
- Patient referral: The infected person informs their partners directly.
- Provider referral: A healthcare provider contacts the partners anonymously.
- Contract referral: The patient agrees to inform partners within a specific timeframe, after which the provider will contact them if necessary.
Many healthcare providers and clinics offer support and resources to help individuals navigate the partner notification process. In some regions, partner notification may be mandatory for certain STIs due to public health regulations.
Examples
After being diagnosed with chlamydia, Sarah decided to use the anonymous notification service provided by her clinic to inform her recent sexual partners.
The public health department assisted Tom in creating a list of his sexual contacts from the past three months to ensure they were all notified about potential exposure to syphilis.