STD screening, testing, case reporting, and clinical and partner notification practices: a national survey of US physicians.
OBJECTIVE
This study presents results from a national survey of US physicians that assessed screening, case reporting, partner management, and clinical practices for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV infection.


METHODS
Surveys were mailed to a random sample of 7300 physicians to assess screening, testing, reporting, and partner notification for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV.


RESULTS
Fewer than one third of physicians routinely screened men or women (pregnant or nonpregnant) for STDs. Case reporting was lowest for chlamydia (37 percent), intermediate for gonorrhea (44 percent), and higher for syphilis, HIV, and AIDS (53 percent-57 percent). Physicians instructed patients to notify their partners (82 percent-89 percent) or the health department (25 percent-34 percent) rather than doing so themselves.


CONCLUSIONS
STD screening levels are well below practice guidelines for women and virtually nonexistent for men. Case reporting levels are below those legally mandated; physicians rely instead on patients for partner notification. Health departments must increase collaboration with private physicians to improve the quality of STD care.
St  Lawrence
Janet S
JS
Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga 30329, USA. nzs4@cdc.gov
Montaño
Daniel E
DE
Kasprzyk
Danuta
D
Phillips
William R
WR
Armstrong
Keira
K
Leichliter
Jami S
JS
D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008511:Medicine; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013038:Specialization; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States