title: Opt-Out Referral of Men Who Have Sex With Men Newly Diagnosed With HIV to Partner Notification Officers: Results and Yield of Sexual Partners Being Contacted.
abstract: Given its potential for reducing the proportion of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) unaware of their diagnosis, partner notification for HIV has been underutilized. This study aimed to determine if the implementation of opt-out referral of men who have sex with men, newly diagnosed with HIV, to partner notification officers (PNO) increased the proportion of sexual partners notified.
  
  
  
  In April 2013, all individuals newly diagnosed with HIV at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia were referred to Department of Health PNO to facilitate partner notification. The number of sexual partners reported by men and the proportion contacted in the 12 months before (opt-in period) and after (opt-out period) this policy change were determined through review of the clinical PNO records.
  
  
  
  Overall, 111 men were diagnosed with HIV during the study period. Compared with men in the opt-in period (n = 51), men in the opt-out period (n = 60) were significantly more likely to accept assistance from the PNO (12 [24%] vs 51 [85%]; P < 0.001). A significantly higher proportion of reported partners were notified with opt-out referral (85/185, 45.9%; 95% confidence interval, 38.6-53.4) compared with opt-in referral (31/252, 12.3%; 95% confidence interval, 8.5-17.0) (P < 0.001).
  
  
  
  Opt-out referral to PNO was associated with a substantially higher proportion of partners at risk of HIV being contacted.
authors.affiliation: From the *Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Hospital; †Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne; ‡Central Clinical School, Monash University, Clayton; and §Department of Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Vinita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rane
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tomnay
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fairley
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Catriona
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000639:trends*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012747:Sexual Partners; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities; D055815:Young Adult