Partner notification for HIV and STD in the United States: low coverage for gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, and HIV.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the scope of current public health partner-notification (PN) activities in the United States.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of the study was to define what PN services U.S. health departments provide in areas with high STD/HIV-related morbidity.


METHODS
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.
Golden
Matthew R
MR
Division of Infectious Diseases and the Center for AIDS & STD, University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, Box 359777, 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. golden@u.washington.edu
Hogben
Matthew
M
Handsfield
H Hunter
HH
St  Lawrence
Janet S
JS
Potterat
John J
JJ
Holmes
King K
KK
D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014492:United States Public Health Service / Q000592:standards*