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Expedited partner therapy/Partner notification and treatment
Assuring that the sex and needle sharing partners of persons with HIV/STI receive the medical care they need is a shared responsibility between medical providers and Public Health. Medical providers should always advise their patients to notify their potentially exposed partners and should attempt to promote partner notification and treatment, even among patients who will receive Public Health partner services.
Public Health Partner Services
Because resources are limited, Public Health only provides partner services to selected populations of persons with STI. These services vary in their content, but focus on trying to ensure that patients and potentially exposed sex partners receive the information and medical treatment they need. At present, Public Health currently provides partner services only to the following populations:
- Persons with newly diagnosed HIV infection
- Persons with early syphilis – this includes primary, secondary and early latent syphilis
- MSM with gonorrhea and chlamydial infection
- Heterosexuals with gonorrhea
- Heterosexuals with untreated chlamydia
Public health does NOT routinely provide partner services to heterosexuals with chlamydial infection.
- Partner notification and treatment guidelines for medical providers
Information on public health partner services, guidelines for providers, and information on expedited partner therapy (including information on how to obtain free medication for your patients' sex partners)
- Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT for Gonorrhea and Chlamydial Infection)
EPT involves treating the sex partners of persons with a curable STD without necessarily examining them first. This is an evidence-based method to increase partner treatment and decrease patient's risk of reinfection. Link includes guidelines and information on how to obtain free medication for your patients to give to their sex partners.