Patient-led partner referral in a district hospital based STD clinic.
BACKGROUND
Sexual communication and appropriate treatment of sexual partners is critical to the success of STD and HIV/AIDS prevention and control.


OBJECTIVE
To understand factors influencing intention of STD patients to inform their regular sexual partners and identify predictors influencing actual return of the partners.


METHODS
A non-randomised survey of patients attending STD clinic in a district hospital between May and November 2000.


METHODS
182 patients were administered structured questionnaires to understand their intention to notify their regular sexual partners and encouraged to refer their regular sexual partners to the clinic for management. Factors related to intent to notify partners and actual partner referral were analysed.


METHODS
Chi square test and forward stepwise logistic regression.


RESULTS
Of the 182 STD patients 77.47% expressed their positive intention to notify their regular sexual partners. However, overall partner return rate was 40.65%. Patients from a better economic class (p=0.014), those who had sex since having the disease (p=0.001), those who felt it was easy to tell their partners (p=0.047) and perceived the necessity of investigating their partners (p<0.001) were more likely to have an intention to notify their partners. Independent predictors of actual return of sexual partners were patients' perception of partners' susceptibility (p=0.044), positive intention to notify partners (p=0.001), partners already informed before clinic visit (p=0.030) and presence of genital ulcerative diseases (p=0.033).


CONCLUSIONS
STD clinic counselling and education should focus on risk reduction, partner susceptibility, role of STDs in HIV transmission and improving spousal communication.
Sahasrabuddhe
V V
VV
District Hospital, Nashik and National AIDS Research Institute, Pune - 411 026, India. sanjaymehendale@yahoo.com
Gholap
T A
TA
Jethava
Y S
YS
Joglekar
N S
NS
Brahme
R G
RG
Gaikwad
B A
BA
Wankhede
A K
AK
Mehendale
S M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012747:Sexual Partners; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data